a little push
by China EL
Summary: "You see, madness, as you know, is like gravity. All it takes is a little push." What happens when Batman and The Joker cause Bruce Wayne's fiancée to lose her mind? She becomes The Joker's partner-in-crime, that's what. (Bruce/OC/Joker)
1. Prologue

**Title:** a little push

 **Author:** itnevertakestoolong (Phany Escamilla)

 **Fandom:** Batman/The Dark Knight

 **Pairing(s):** Bruce/OC/Joker; Rachel/Harvey; one-sided Bruce/Rachel

 **Character(s):** Bruce Wayne (Batman), The Joker, OC, Rachel Dawes, Harvey Dent, Jim Gordon, Alfred Pennyworth, Lucius Fox

 **Rating:** High T

 **Warnings:** Language, possible sexual content.

 **Summary:** " _You see, madness, as you know, is like gravity. All it takes is a little push."|| What happens when Batman and The Joker cause Bruce Wayne's fiancée to lose her mind? She becomes The Joker's partner-in-crime, that's what._

* * *

" _One of the hardest things you'll ever have to do is stop loving someone because they've stopped loving you." –Anonymous_

 **Prologue: The End**

Gone.

All of the memories, years of laughter, smiles, and tears gone in the span of six, simple, little words.

 _"You were right. You always were."_

She laughs a cold, high laugh, harsh like a winter gust, as she stares at the Downtown Gotham skyline before her. Bringing the vodka bottle to her lips, she glances down from the roof of the Wayne penthouse and contemplates jumping with a smile on her face.

* * *

"Do you love her?" she asked, slowly, almost fearfully. Bruce looked up and, cocking his head, stared at her with something akin to curiosity in his eyes.

"Love who?" he questioned.

"Rachel."

Silence followed as he put down his blazer and walked toward her, those amazing dark eyes she absolutely loved with all of her heart trained on her always.

"Yes, but not like I love you," he replied, standing her from her sitting position on the edge of the bed. "She's been with me since we were children. But I fell in love with _you_."

She smiled and stood on her tiptoes to gently place her lips on his for a brief kiss.

"I love you _so_ much," she breathed against his collarbone.

* * *

"Lies," she sobs, a smile on her face as she laughs. "You fucking liar!"

Standing up on the edge of the roof, she laughs while tears stream down her cheeks, mascara running and tainting her pale skin.

"They were all —fucking— _lies!_ " she yells to the skies, since there's no one else to hear her pain. She shouts, screams in anguish, unable to relieve her pain, until her throat burns with red-hot pain and she can no longer yell.

"You fucking liar," she sobs, now on her knees on top of the only ledge that's preventing her from ending it all. "I fucking loved you…"

* * *

"Do you love me?"

"You know I do.… Do _you_ love _me_?"

"So much."

"Will you marry me?"

"… Yes."

* * *

She's kneeling on the ledge of the rooftop when he arrives. Her dark brown curls are blowing in the wind and there's an empty bottle of vodka in her hand. She looks so defeated, the way her shoulders slump forward and her hands remain limp.

He comes up behind her slowly, quietly, although he knows she's aware of his presence. Stopping at the ledge, he sits down on it facing the opposite direction. She's still staring off at the Gotham skyline while he's given his back on that so long ago. He places his hands on the edge, leaning forward slightly as he swings his legs, then leans back to look at her face.

Her dark eyes are staring at the distance without really seeing anything.

And he asks, for once his own voice somber, "Why so serious?"

* * *

She sat at the foot of their bed and stared at him, watched him swipe his hand across their vanity table and all her expensive perfumes and little crystal bottles hit the wall. She watched as all the little shards and crystal pieces exploded and rained down onto the floor.

Bruce screamed at the ceiling as a teardrop slid down his cheek.

She bowed her head to hide the tears streaming down her face.

Gathering her courage, she finally raised her head and watched him before saying, "Tell me the truth now. Do you love her?"

Bruce ignored her and remained silent, not bothering to even acknowledge her voice as he remained with his back toward her. She held in a sob and swallowed it back with some difficulty before insisting.

"Bruce... Do you love her more than me?"

Bruce turned to look at her, eyes red-rimmed and full of pain and tears, and, running a hand through his hair, sighed, "You were right. You always were."

You could never understand the pain that sliced through her heart at that moment, as she realized she would never mean as much to him, no matter how much she loved him.

"Yes, I fucking loved her more than you!" Bruce yelled suddenly, startling her and making her jump. "I loved her with all of my fucking heart! I've loved her for _years_! I've loved her since before I fucking met you!"

Her mouth opened a little and her throat closed up with tears as he made his way towards her, his hands clenched into fists. Bruce had never done anything to hurt her, but in that moment, she was absolutely terrified of him.

"Is that what you wanted to hear?!" Bruce roared, making her scramble onto the bed and back away from him. Tears were still running down his cheeks as she found she was already against the headboard of the bed where they'd declared their love to each other so many times before. "That I'll never love you as much as her, no matter what you do? That I _have_ _never_ and _will never_ love you? That you've lived a fucking lie for so long?!"

A gasp escaped her red-painted lips.

He paused.

The angry expression fell from his face and he stared at her in silence, almost in puzzlement, his eyes filled with so much sadness and pain, it tore at her.

She took that opportunity and stood up quickly, turning her head so as not to look at him. Quickly making her way toward their bedroom door, she opened it, hesitating at the doorway.

"I'll be back for my things tomorrow morning," she murmured, leaving him in total silence.

* * *

"Isn't it ironic?" she tells him, her voice hoarse from all the crying and screaming she'd done. The Joker turns to look at her and laughs, though it's false and sounds strangely forced and melancholic.

"Life is full of irony, my dear," he grins. She nods and rearranges her sitting position, throwing the empty vodka bottle over the edge of the building. "What did he do?"

"Sent me to hell," she replies shortly in a hoarse whisper. "Said I'd never mean as much to him as she did. Said he never loved me."

She laughs, though with the condition of her vocal chords, it sounds deep and throaty, but it makes the Joker grin.

"Harsh," he replies, cackling in delight. And although his response sounds sarcastic and mocking, she feels as though he's truly sympathetic toward her.

"What are you here for?" she asks suddenly, sitting down beside him and turning her back toward the Gotham skyline.

"Kidnapping would be good," Joker thinks aloud, staring at her face pensively. She grins at him before staring directly in front of her, opposite what she'd just spent hours staring at, turning her back on Gotham.

"But I just told you that he doesn't care, so you'd probably get nothing— no money at all anymore—from Bruce Wayne," she finishes for him, shaking her head in amusement.

"Exactly!" Joker exclaims, jumping up. "So, sweetheart, I've got a proposition for you."

Her eyes rove his face, searching his eyes for a moment, before firmly declaring, "No."

"Aww," Joker pouts. "Why not? You've got… nothing to lose."

She pauses.


	2. Chapter 1

**I know that by this point, especially based on the Prologue, it seems like the story advances slowly. Well, this story is literally following practically almost every scene in the movie, with some obvious alterations, so please, people, bear with me.**

 **That being said, I know there's practically nothing astounding about this chapter, but I thought it to be essential, so you guys could see exactly how different it seems to be, and how it's affecting Bruce's relationship with his girlfriend.**

 **Without further ado, enjoy. Read and please review to tell me how it can be improved :3 And soooo many thank yous to my two reviewers, I promise it's going to get better, don't give up on me.**

* * *

" _Heroes always get remembered, but you know legends never die."_

 **Chapter 1: Reality**

"What did you make for dinner, Alfred?" Ella asked, entering the kitchen fresh out of the shower. The only thing she wore happened to be a towel, and she was drying her hair with another.

"That would be chicken parmigiana, Ms. Ella," he promptly replied, bustling about as he made the final preparations to the salad. Ella rolled her eyes as she threw the towel over a chair.

"I'm not sure why you bother if he's never home. It's always just us two," she said, her eyes betraying the sadness she felt at the truth of her words. Alfred stopped what he was doing and turned to look at her, studying her closely.

Her dark brown eyes were downcast, her long dark eyelashes fluttering against her cheekbones. She looked up and her somewhat thin, pale pink lips stretched into a smirk as she raised a perfectly-arched eyebrow in question.

Her dark brown hair was in its natural state, with its messy curls all over the place, which in itself was surprising.

"May I ask," Alfred said, ignoring her last statement, "why your hair is neither straightened nor curled?"

Ella grinned and turned her head toward the door, making her collarbones stand out. She was thin now, thanks to pressure from the media, but she hadn't always been so. She used to have soft, chubby cheeks and a thicker body. She used to be infinitely different in so many aspects.

Alfred could still remember the confident but quiet young girl the youngest Wayne had introduced him to five years previously. She had been a little more immature and recklessly wild. The media had changed her appearance and behavior, but Bruce Wayne had changed her personality.

"I just told you, Alfred," she replied, grabbing the towel she'd just thrown and making her way toward her and Master Wayne's bedroom. "Who am I supposed to impress if there _is_ no one to impress?"

Daniela "Ella" Navarro walked away.

* * *

I'd been alone most of the day. I usually was.

Sometimes, Rachel would come by to visit, since she was aware of how lonely I was. With Bruce gone as Batman most of the time, I was devoid of a boyfriend and neglected when I _did_ have one.

But that day, even Rachel was pretty busy. I'm not just talking about the bank robbery investigation, where there was now a new lunatic villain. One who liked to wear Mad Hatter suits and wore makeup in a grotesque way. Despite that, Rachel was also busy with Harvey Dent, now that she and the attorney were going out.

I wondered how Bruce felt about that specific development.

I knew he always told me I shouldn't worry about Rachel, but let's be honest. It seemed a complete miracle that there was nothing romantic between them at some point, I was worried that there _was_. At least on Bruce's part.

I was in bed still, having just woken up wearing only black Calvin Klein boy shorts and a black spaghetti-strap tank top. Stretching, I realized I was still alone.

That meant Bruce was either in the would-be Batcave or in the living room.

Standing, I slipped on a pair of beige duchess slippers and started to make my way toward his office. I was halfway down the corridor when I realized I was still in my underwear, but it was still early morning. Alfred was probably just about to get up.

Continuing on my way, I passed the living room and down another corridor, stopping halfway down at a door. Opening it a tiny bit, I peeked inside to find my boyfriend sitting at his desk with his laptop _and_ his desktop.

I was surprised he wasn't in the Batcave, but he was probably just back from that particular place.

Bruce looked up as the door was pushed open. I stood where I was for a moment, as I realized my boyfriend looked strangely pale and was holding his arm. Following the length of his arm, I realized there was blood.

Calmly walking toward him, I asked, "What happened?"

"A drug dealer and a mob boss" was his terse reply. I nodded as I reached him and smiled, leaning down to give him a quick peck on the lips.

"You already disinfected it and sew it together?" I asked, choosing not to push the issue of how he got his injury. Bruce was pretty tight-lipped about what he did as Batman most of the time. He never told _me_ anything, at least, but something told me that that wasn't exactly the case with Alfred.

"Yeah."

"Then, why is there still blood?" I insisted, sitting on the arm of his chair. I took the opportunity to see the wound and realized that it was indeed sewn together and mostly clean, but the blood smeared over the uninjured parts of his arm were obviously disregarded in favor of closing the wound first.

I grabbed a clean and damp hand towel from the desk. There were more towels but most were already covered in blood. Gently rubbing at the blood still on his arm, I took it upon myself to clean what he didn't care about at the moment. Bruce was once again immersed into the evidence on his PC, but he unconsciously slid his arm around my lower back and placed his hand on my bare upper thigh.

Then, I heard footsteps.

I immediately dropped the towel and slid onto Bruce's lap.

Bruce was, at first, confused at my behavior before he realized why I wanted to hide.

"Why are you in your underwear?" he whispered, somewhat angrily. I was about to give him one of my mischievous grins until the fact that he hadn't noticed until now registered. And I'd even _worn_ them here just for him.

"I just woke up, Bruce!" I whispered back, just as fiercely.

"And why did you sleep in your fucking underwear, instead of wearing your fucking pajamas?" Bruce whispered, this time his anger obvious. I paused and stared straight into his eyes before I stood up as calmly as I could.

"Because I fell asleep waiting up for you," I stated in my normal voice. Without waiting for his response, I walked back to the door and reached it just as Alfred opened it. Alfred remained silent, his eyes averted, as I brushed past him and walked away down the corridor.

* * *

Alfred remained where he was, listening to Daniela's footsteps as she walked away. Taking a deep breath, he started to make his way toward his boss and, without waiting for Bruce to say anything, started to pick up the blood-covered towels on the desk. As he continued to clean up Bruce's mess in silence, Alfred glanced at Bruce briefly.

"You're going to lose her," Alfred said quietly. Bruce remained completely quiet, not even moving. "One day, you're going to wake up and realize how special she is… I know you aren't eager to take the words of an old man as seriously as I mean them, but we both know Miss Ella. She'll walk away from those that hurt her, even if it kills her."

There was another short silence.

"Don't be ridiculous, Alfred."

"She loves you, Master Wayne," Alfred continued, placing all of the towels on a table at the wall before continuing on the medical supplies. "She is completely in love with you, and she's willing to put up with a lot from you. And she's willing to do a lot for you. But she has expectations. For you and for herself. If you don't make the effort, she'll get tired of making it all by herself."

"Don't worry about us, Alfred. _If_ that day comes, I'm sure you'll be there to tell me 'I told you so.'"

Alfred rolled his eyes at their running joke before Bruce changed the subject to his Batsuit.

"By the way, what did you get bit by, a tiger?" Alfred joked to relieve the tension. Bruce laughed, but Alfred could see part of Daniela's weariness in Bruce's own eyes.

Bruce and Daniela… They're such a dysfunctional couple in several aspects of their relationship. They're so different, but exactly the same in so many more ways. They're so paradoxical, but at the same time, they're good for each other.

Except that two people who are so similar… they could destroy each other.

* * *

" _And if you don't know, now you know."_


	3. Chapter 2

**So I kinda forgot to mention this last chapter, the quotes from last chapter were Panic! At The Disco's _Emperor's New Clothes_. And this chapter's quotes are from Automatic Loveletter's _Save Me_.**

 **So what I meant to demonstrate last chapter was that Bruce and Ella's relationship is slowly falling apart, for the most insignificant of things. This chapter is meant to show a little more insight on Ella and her past. Viewer discretion is advised, sensitive subject matter is mentioned at the end.**

 **A HUGE THANK YOU for my reviewers! I'm glad you're liking this story, and also those following and favoriting this story, because it shows your interest in the direction of the story, and if it's holding your interest, then it makes me feel like I'm on the right track :3 And anyway, to Lili: _I don't think it's awful. When someone you really love says those things to you, that can kinda destroy you. So, to me, whatever happens from now on, he deserves it. Even if that sounds mean xD._**

 **And, since I've kinda forgotten,**

 **Disclaimer: Anything you recognize is not mine. In any case, that means only Daniela is fully mine. I am making no profit from this work of fiction, and it is only made to entertain.**

 **Now... Enjoy.**

* * *

" _I've got a secret to tell: nobody knows me… Nobody knows me at all."_

 **Chapter 2: Code of Silence**

I was ready to go, wearing a black dress with a deep-lunge neckline and silver open-toe Louboutin pumps. I had showered, straightened my hair, and changed in a matter of two hours. My make-up was perfectly done and I smelled like my favorite perfume.

Bruce Wayne wasn't a man known for his patience, and after this morning's argument, I was resolved not to affect his mood anymore today.

Leaving my black clutch on a sofa, I made my way toward the bar and left my silver Roberto Cavalli sunglasses on the counter. I grabbed a glass and dunked the very top in a little bit of water and then in salt. The salt remained around the rim of the glass as I grabbed one of the spray nozzles and filled the glass with club soda.

Filling the glass a little bit more than three-quarters of the way, I cut two lemons in half and squeezed the lemon juice from all four halves into the glass. Satisfied, I put a straw in it to mix the juices, and then brought the glass to my lips.

How that mixture always did wonders to my headaches.

I was halfway done with the drink when Alfred appeared, looking as calm and collected as ever.

"Ms. Ella," he said, "Master Wayne is waiting for you out front."

"Thanks, Alfred," I replied, taking one last gulp from the drink and then hurrying to get my things. Grabbing the black clutch, I slipped on the sunglasses and disappeared behind the elevator doors as I made my way to the lobby.

* * *

Daniela stepped out of the elevator with her head held high. Hair blowing back with the wind, she took long, measured strides out of the front doors and was met with the sight of Bruce impatiently glancing at his Rolex watch. He was changed into a black suit and his hair was disheveled, though as always, he looked devilishly handsome.

Bruce looked up as she exited, and he couldn't help but think she looked absolutely amazing. Her make-up was subtle and hid her flaws while emphasizing her best features. The dress emphasized her curves and the heels made her legs seem longer.

He was standing next to the Cadillac Escalade's door, which was already open as he waited for her.

Ella completely ignored him, brushing right past him as she lithely climbed into the completely black vehicle with double-tinted windows. He hesitated for a moment before climbing in, sitting beside her, and closing the door.

Bruce was aware he probably shouldn't have reacted the way he had in the morning, but he wasn't exactly thinking clearly. He was tired, he was in pain, and he was definitely _not_ comfortable when the thought struck that she might do that often.

He would apologize later. Ella always forgave him and he wasn't _completely_ at fault, anyways.

 _She'll walk away from those that hurt her, even if it kills her_.

Alfred's words regarding Daniela that morning echoed in his mind, but Bruce tried to dismiss them as easily as he had dismissed Alfred himself.

 _If you don't make the effort, she'll get tired of making it all by herself._

The locks clicked into place, and Ella scooted away from him.

Bruce sighed and ran a hand over his face. He needed to sleep.

* * *

I glanced down at my hands in my lap, then placed them on the table and studied my recent manicure. Not bad, but not amazing either…

I looked back up and feigned interest in what the Chinese guy, Lau something-or-other, was saying. I didn't even know why we were actually listening to the presentation if half the board was only pretending to listen. Bruce, who was taking up the two or three seats beside me, was fast asleep.

I turned to look at him and sighed internally. To me, Bruce Wayne was beautiful. Yes, others might say he was handsome, striking, stunning, or even gorgeous. But to me, he was absolutely beautiful. No other way to describe it.

The way his eyes shone when he was excited about something, even if the guy was more monotone than most people gave him credit for; the smirks he sent my way when we were flirtingly joking around or when he was teasing me during sex. The way he genuinely grinned when we were talking with Rachel—which, in reality, is the reason I'm so worried and skeptical about their friendship—; the soft way in which he touched me when we were making love and not just having sex or fucking. And I would never forget the random soft caresses and gestures and kisses when he was feeling especially romantic, because even though that wasn't often, those instances would especially mark me and instill my confidence in our relationship.

And, in that moment, the angelic expression on his face as he slept, as if he could do no wrong whatsoever, reminded me of the side of him I loved the most. Though in reality, it also reminded me of how I missed his soft lips with the way he mouthed words I never did get to hear.

"Well," Lucius spoke suddenly, making me tear my gaze away from my boyfriend, "I think you can see the company's— and Mr. Wayne's— enthusiasm to work with you."

He gestured across the board meeting table, making every single pair of eyes in the room turn toward the company owner. After everyone scrutinized Bruce's current predicament they turned to criticize his girlfriend's inability to keep him in line. In other words, me.

* * *

After everyone exited the boardroom, discussing the topic of the meeting, Lau's intentions, and their boss, Ella quietly shook Bruce awake and then stepped away. Lucius being the only other person in the room, he immediately noticed the change in Daniela's behavior.

As soon as it was obvious that Bruce was stirring already, she turned her back on him and walked away towards the windows.

Bruce groggily opened his eyes to see Ella's back to him. Glancing around the room, he realized it was just them two with Lucius, who was staring at him with disapproving eyes. Ignoring that, he slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes, and stood.

"What happened with that Lau guy?" he asked.

"We're going to do it. But that's not what you want to talk about, is it?" Lucius replied, before very conspicuously glancing at Daniela.

Just as Bruce was about to talk to her for the first time since that morning's argument, the door to the board room swung open to reveal Rachel Dawes.

Ella immediately turned to look at him, at his reaction, with her lips pursed. Bruce remained silent for a moment, studying Rachel's face, which was completely devoid of makeup save for her usual red lipstick. That's what he loved so much about Rachel. Daniela may look nice with makeup, but Rachel looked completely amazing _without_ it.

"Is—Is something wrong?" Rachel asked, the smile on her face falling slightly at everyone's lack of emotion in their reactions at seeing her. Bruce immediately grinned back, making Daniela turn away and her throat to close up.

"No, not at all," Bruce replied. "What a miracle to see you here, Rache."

"Oh, I came to talk with Dani," Rachel informed him, smile slipping back on. Bruce turned to look at his girlfriend, internally wincing at Rachel's nickname for her. "I was wondering if she'd like to go get lunch with me."

Daniela turned to look at Bruce, her expression serious and eyes looking so dejected, wondering what he would say. He ignored it.

"You may go…" Bruce said, making Daniela turn her head and cringe. To everyone else, it sounded like permission or even an invitation for her to go. But Ella took it for what it was: her dismissal.

Gathering her wits about her and pulling herself to her fullest height, she nodded and plastered a smile onto her face as she made her way toward Rachel.

* * *

Daniela Navarro's pretty mask was breaking, cracks strewn across the smile in her face and cuts across the lies on her lips. The welcoming shine in her eyes was dimming to reveal the monotone disappointment that was always hidden with fake smiles and forced laughter. The mask that she only let slip off a few times in her four-year-relationship with Bruce was falling apart in her scarred hands.

Ella could feel Rachel's concerned gaze on her, though her own eyes were averted to her tattooed hands.

"Dani?" Rachel said, making her cringe. Bruce absolutely _hated_ when they called her Dani because apparently, it made him feel like he was dating a man. That's why everyone was required to call her Ella, _except for Rachel_ , of course. "Is everything alright?"

Ella raised her gaze and smiled weakly.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just tired. Could you just… I just need a little quiet right now," she murmured quietly. Rachel nodded and continued to look at her menu once more.

Daniela closed her eyes as she tried not to let the memories get to her in that moment, memories of a curly-haired child with big, brown, soulful eyes and a genuine, wide smile.

 _I was six years old when my mother and I left Mexico to live in California. I was usually left alone in the apartment to take care of my one-year-old baby cousin while all the adults worked. That's when I learned to be independent._

 _I was eight years old and my mother was never home. She was always working or seeing her boyfriend, and when she_ was _home, she was always too tired to even listen to me._

 _I was nine years old and lonely as hell. I had friends, sure, but not one person I trusted. My mother was still working and seeing the man who's now my stepfather._

 _I was twelve years old and living with my pregnant mother and my now-stepfather. That's when Mayra was born and everything began to change._

 _I was thirteen years old when I realized my stepfather snuck into my room at night while I slept to touch me. I was too scared to tell my mom, too scared that she wouldn't believe me._

 _I was fourteen years old when my stepbrother died in Mexico, and my parents decided they were moving back to Mexico. I didn't want to go and was left back in my aunt's care._

 _I was fifteen years old when I had my first boyfriend. He was always pretty accepting of me, but I still wanted to be thinner. I was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa._

 _I was sixteen years old when I started a friends-with-benefits relationship with my stepfather's nephew, who was a year-and-a-half younger than me. I had also developed an obsessive want to do exercise at least two hours a day whilst I had bulimia. I got a throat infection from the gastric acids and was no longer able to do exercise, so I quit throwing up._

 _I was seventeen years old when I realized I was hopelessly in love with my friend-with-benefits. I lost my virginity to him. He rejected me, treated me like shit, but I was still with him for three years._

 _I was eighteen years old when I got my first tattoo that symbolized all my medical problems. My second tattoo was with my best friends. My third tattoo was my friend-with-benefits' initial._

 _I was nineteen years old when I realized I needed to get away from that place, and although I had taken a gap year to get my shit together before moving on to college, I hadn't decided what I wanted to do yet. I still ended up moving to Gotham._

 _I was twenty years old when I finally had all my shit together. But I was losing myself in the parties and alcohol while trying to forget my friend-with-benefits. I was losing myself._

 _I was twenty-four years old when I met you, Bruce, at the nightclub. God, how that night changed everything. Even though we were destined to meet, anyways, the story could have gone so differently._

* * *

" _I don't know what I'm doing, but it's got me living in my own hell."_


	4. Chapter 3

**Gooooood morning, everybody! Jaja here's our newest installment of A Little Push. Anyway, last chapter I wanted you guys to see the way Ella was treated, but this chapter is supposed to show that it wasn't always like that. Bruce may treat her like Ella's not important to him, but that's why I want to show you guys that he does love her, he does care about her. They've been together for four years and known each other for five.**

 **She _is_ important to him, Bruce just likes to be a dick. lol**

 **to Lili: _I adore reading your reactions because I think your reactions is what I hope to envoke in people when they read. As the story progresses, I hope I can still achieve the same goals with you lol_**

 **to djmick: _See, here's the thing about me... I don't like to give any spoilers, but what's a good story without a love triangle? mwahahahaha xD_**

 **Anyway, the quotes are from 30 Second to Mars's _The Story_. Read, please review to see what I can improve, and enjoy :3**

* * *

" _I'm in the middle of nothing, and it's where I want to be."_

 **Chapter 3: Some Girls**

I couldn't lie to myself. It hadn't been like this in the beginning, with Bruce. Bruce used to be so different with me, but I guess we really let ourselves go, let ourselves get sucked into a routine, because Bruce slowly but surely began to lose interest in me.

At first, everything was great. Not perfect, because I no longer believe in perfection, but great. But the months turned into a year and I eventually moved in with him. He was still fine with me at the time; he still made time for me and took me out with him. A year turned into multiple years, and he finally confessed to me about Batman.

Then, he began to change.

And now, _I_ had changed. I was too busy with my relationship with Bruce to readily mature in my career and grow in my future. Of course, there was the possibility that Bruce could be a part of my future, and it would be so easy with him. He was a fucking multibillionaire, for fuck's sake. I'd never have to work again if I so wished it.

But I'd be dissatisfied with that life. If I was going to be famous or successful, I'd do it by myself. I'd make a name for myself.

But I wasn't growing as a person, I was stuck in this daily routine of a pity party, pretending for my friends, and arguments with Bruce over Batman. I'm sure many others wouldn't be able to take it. I did the best I could, as well.

When he came home hurt from a night as Batman, I didn't overreact. I was there, ready to be whatever he needed. If he needed help with an injury, I'd be his nurse. If he needed someone to listen, I'd be his psychologist. If he needed to find comfort in someone, I'd be his courtesan.

Because, most of the time, that's what it felt like. As if I was only Bruce Wayne's mistress.

* * *

Daniela arrived at the Wayne Penthouse at 2 p.m.

She'd had lunch with Rachel and Harvey had showed up just as they were leaving, although Daniela and Harvey weren't properly introduced to lack of time. For Daniela, it was already awkward as it was. It was obvious how in love they were by the nice gestures and random caresses. She realized she missed that about her relationship with Bruce.

She couldn't even remember the last time they'd gone out together.

The first thing she did when she got home was take off the dress and heels. She stood there for a moment, staring at herself in the mirror, willing herself to see her body in a positive light and forget all her past experiences with eating disorders.

 _I won't go back to that. I'll never go there again_ , she promised herself, hoping the ferocity in her silent reassurance would help her maintain the statement, but not really keen on believing herself. So she tore herself away from the mirror and put on Bruce's plaid red pajama pants and grey t-shirt.

She was surrounded by his scent, which brought tears to her eyes.

Ella rushed into the bathroom and leaned against the sink as she began to cry, her mascara running and ruining everything. Just like Batman and Rachel were ruining her relationship with Bruce.

Later, when the tears dried up and she could cry no more, after she was done silencing the screams that wanted to make their way from her mouth, she removed all of the makeup on her face. Washing her face one last time, Ella made her way toward their bed and collapsed onto it.

Curling up into a ball, she promptly fell asleep.

* * *

 _Daniela Navarro was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa at fifteen years old. Admittedly, it was at a pretty young age, but then again, Ella lived in_ California _. She was surrounded by stick-thin models in magazines and curvy figures at every corner._

 _She wasn't fat, not really. She couldn't even really be called chubby; she was basically an average weight. But she wanted to be thin, no matter what it took._

 _Nobody in her home noticed, not at first. She was living with her aunt by then, as her mother and stepfather had moved back to Mexico. It started when she started eating less, slowly at first, obviously. She became accustomed to eating less, so she found that she wasn't really hungry during lunch._

 _She started off by skipping lunch. Then, she started eating dinner in her room for "privacy". That was her downfall, because that way, nobody realized she was_ slowly killing herself _._

 _Eventually, during the second month of her "diet", she lost approximately 20 pounds in less than a month._

 _That's when her family took notice. She was taken to a doctor and then diagnosed with anorexia nervosa and malnutrition. But_ thank God _her family was able to detect the disorder before it got any worse, or so the doctor had said._

 _Daniela was merely annoyed and pissed off that when she finally had what she wanted, her family would come and ruin it for her. Really, couldn't they ever let her be happy?_

 _Ella was treated with antidepressants and cognitive behavioral therapy. Eventually, she stopped obsessing with_ not _-eating, more out of habit than anything._

 _But she realized there were_ healthier _ways to lose weight. Because dear God, she just wanted the number on that scale to go_ down _. That's all she wanted._

 _What that caused was for Ella to start eating less like in the beginning. Her family had noticed, but decided not to say anything and let the story unfold itself before their eyes to see if she would fall again._

 _She didn't. Or so they thought._

 _They didn't know she wasn't eating breakfast or lunch at school. All they knew was that she ate_ more than enough _during dinner and sometimes even then, ate a packet of cookies and glass of milk and dessert. She was eating—probably more than she should—but they were just_ happy she didn't relapse _._

 _What they didn't realize was that shortly after that, when she "took a shower", the sounds of her vomiting were masked by the music she played in the bathroom to shower. They didn't realize that she was trying to quiet her gags and dry heaves and hide her bloody knuckles._

 _But that wasn't enough anymore. She was still the_ same—fucking—weight _._

 _So what did she do? She obtained a high-intensity interval training circuit work-out program called Insanity and began to do exercise before dinner. Excessively._

 _The program in itself was forty to sixty minutes of intense cardio and plyometrics but Ella took it to another level. She did the daily circuit_ twice _._

 _She was losing weight, all right, but her family didn't find that weird because after all, she_ was _working out. No, they didn't know about her bulimia._

 _They wouldn't know until she started complaining of a seriously sore throat. Nobody paid much heed to it at first, thinking it was just from a cold or something completely normal. It wasn't until Ella was unable to do her workouts because the sore throat would flare up and she was barely able to eat dinner that they took her a doctor._

 _She had a throat infection. The doctor talked to her in private and asked her about what she was doing. Daniela confessed and the doctor told her the words that defined the rest of her adolescence._

 _"You have the throat infection because the gastric acids are burning at your esophagus. If you don't stop doing this, it won't just be an infection anymore, it'll be a bleeding throat. You also exercise, and that's why you came. Because you were no longer able to exercise. You_ won't _be able to exercise anymore if your throat is freaking_ bleeding _. So tell me, Daniela, what do you get more satisfaction from? Throwing up and wasting the food that_ gives you fucking life _or doing a healthy workout that feels like it's killing you, but you realize that you can actually complete?"_

What do you get more satisfaction from?

 _She stopped vomiting._

* * *

When Bruce came home, Ella was curled up on their bed. He watched her for a moment, the way she mumbled random things in her sleep and her chest rose and fell slowly. She looked so innocent on that bed, it made him realize some things.

Like the fact that he missed her. It'd been a while since they'd really been together, just them two.

He wasn't going to lie and say he wasn't to blame. He did work too much, as Batman _and_ as Bruce Wayne. And when he wasn't working, he neglected her, yeah. He'd admit it. But he wasn't the only one to blame. Ella's problem was that she exaggerated a lot and took things out of proportion.

She was a bit of a drama queen, and she'd readily admit it a lot of times, too. But lately, she'd been different towards him, colder. Almost as if… as if her feelings toward him had changed.

Taking a deep breath, Bruce ran a hand through his hair and glanced at his watch. 3:30 p.m.

Bruce lay on the bed and, with just a moment's hesitation, curled around Daniela's sleeping form.

* * *

 _He'd been looking for a one night stand._

 _It was true that Bruce Wayne's playboy image was just a façade, a cover-up. But he had to keep the rumors circulating, and how was he to do that if he didn't fuck a random girl every now and then?_

 _His eyes scanned the club from the VIP section, looking for a girl that might catch his attention, something a little different. But it was all the same damn thing: blondes, brunettes, and raven-haired girls. It was always the same damn thing._

 _Suddenly, he caught a flash of blue from the corner of his eye. Turning in that direction, he quickly found her. She was a bit on the thicker side, wearing a short, skin-tight dress and moderately-tall heels. Her hair was black with the tips of her straightened hair dyed sapphire blue._

 _She was slightly tan and very pretty. Her lips were small, full, and bow-shaped, and her eyes were very dark._

 _She was dancing with a few friends when she felt his gaze on her and looked up. She stared at him deadpan for a moment, almost as if she were evaluating him, before she smiled._

 _That was what did it for him._

 _That smile drew him in like you wouldn't believe. It was the way her smile changed her whole face, the way it made her seem even more pretty. The way she seemed like such a fun, carefree girl._

 _He left the VIP section and carefully made his way toward her. She saw him before he reached her and she stopped dancing. Leaning back on one leg, she crossed her arms and smirked his way with a raised eyebrow._

Talk about confident _, he couldn't help but think. It brought a grin to his face. Leaning in toward her, his lips brushing her cheek lightly before stopping at her ear._

 _"Can I buy you a drink?" he asked seductively. The girl remained unmoving for a moment as he leaned back. Then, she smirked wider and nodded._

 _Together, they made their way to the bar, where she ordered a Cuba libre._

 _"What's your name?" Bruce had asked._

 _"Daniela," she'd replied._

 _That night, they'd danced together, made out, and then parted ways. He couldn't bring himself to take her home, although the thought of what they could do together was very tempting._

 _The next day, despite his hangover, he had to go to work at Wayne Enterprises, where they would be meeting a few new staff members, one of them being his assistant._

 _When he reached the office, he found a surprise._

 _"And your assistant, Bruce, Ms. Daniela Navarro," Lucius informed him. He was sitting at his desk in his office with Lucius standing at his side. The door opened to reveal a young, Mexican girl with raven hair in a bun and dark brown eyes._

 _The girl from the previous night._

 _He immediately stood and a blush came to her cheeks._

 _"Mr. Wayne," she said, walking forward slowly. She looked so professional now, her hair in a bun, hiding the blue dye, wearing a pencil skirt suit and simple black pumps. "Daniela Escamilla. Pleasure to make your_ re _acquaintance."_

 _The smirk she threw his way drew him in._

* * *

" _And I swear to God, I'll find myself in the end."_


	5. Chapter 4

**So, I'm baaack lol I've decided that I'm updating every Tuesday :3**

 **There's not much to say about this chapter. Still moving onto the restaurant scene while giving snippets of Daniela's past.**

 **to Lili: _Yes, I do agree with you on that, but let's just say it's not even an active approach. This is their relationship falling apart, and they're both aware of it. And yeah, Daniela had a rough past, but we'll be seeing about Bruce and Daniela's four-year relationship more later. For now, enjoy Bruce being an even bigger asshole xD_**

 **to Lady The Warrior, my new fellow Joker lover: _Bella, we already talked about the story lol And I'm really glad you're liking it._**

 **BTW, Bella (Lady The Warrior) has a Joker origin fic called The Darknesss I Invited In, it's great and so similar to my own Joker origin backstory that you could get a few hints for the future ;) Go check it out!**

 **Anyway, the quotes are from 30 Seconds to Mars's _Alibi_. Read, please review, and enjoy! :3**

* * *

" _I fell apart but got back up again."_

 **Chapter 4: Fantasy**

Bruce wasn't known for his patience. It was no surprise that he only lasted about ten minutes laying there beside her before he wanted to wake Daniela. Taking a deep breath, he leaned back, hovered over Ella, and promptly pushed her onto her back.

She remained asleep, full lips slightly parted as she breathed evenly through her mouth. She had removed all of her makeup and was actually wearing _his_ pajamas—not that he used them too often. Her hand twitched beside her head.

"Daniela," he whispered in her face, his breath hitting her cheek. Bruce leaned in and gently placed his lips on hers. "Ella, baby girl..."

He shook her lightly before placing another kiss on her lips. Bruce's hands were on either side of her head, and he was using his right hand to shake her while he leaned on his left.

"Babe, wake up," he murmured, shaking her a little more forcefully. He swung his right leg over Ella's own to lean in and place his lips on hers yet again. "Babe…"

He kissed her again, but this time, he felt her lips spread into a smirk. Pulling back immediately, she opened her eyes and smiled, making his heart soar inexplicably. Even though Bruce was basically straddling her, she only yawned and stretched her arms above her head.

"Is that what you do when I'm sleeping?" Daniela teased. "Because I'm pretty sure that qualifies as some kind of harassment."

Bruce grinned and murmured, almost shamefacedly, "You're not angry?"

She paused as she thought. Was she angry? Hell yes. Was she going to tell him that? Fuck no. Daniela was supposed to be his pretty, obedient girlfriend, quiet when he did something wrong and praising him when he did the right thing.

"No," Ella replied, watching as Bruce climbed off her and sat on the edge of the bed. Ella got up on her knees and was about to sit down next to him when he grabbed her by the waist and sat her on his lap.

"You sure?" he breathed against her neck, making the hairs on the back of her neck and her arms stand up. It was amazing how easily he could turn her on. Ella bit her lip and nodded as he pushed her straightened hair away from her neck. "Completely sure?"

Ella felt Bruce's lips on her neck and gasped when she felt his tongue. She kind of had this thing with licking that immediately turned her on, and he knew it, too.

"Y-yes," Daniela gasped, feeling Bruce's smirk against her skin. He immediately pulled away after that and stood her up to stand himself up.

"That's good" was all he said as he walked toward the bathroom. A soft moan left Daniela's mouth.

"Teeease!" she whined after him, making him laugh out loud.

Entering the bathroom and leaving the door open, he called out to her, "Get ready! We're going out to dinner… Mhmm, I'm going to take a shower. Care to join me?"

She smirked before standing and following him.

* * *

"Wait," Bruce said, before getting out of the black Lamborghini. The paparazzi's flashes were blinding me a little bit, making white spots show up in my vision. Making his way around the front of the Murcielago, Bruce opened the door for me and helped me climb out of the expensive car.

"Thanks," I murmured, holding onto his hand as he closed the door and handed the valet the keys. Once he stood up straight beside me, I rearranged my hand to hold onto his arm.

Bruce Wayne, as always, was handsomely dressed in a smart black suit. I was wearing an ivory halter dress with spiked gold Louboutin open-toe boots. My makeup wasn't as subtle as it usually was professionally, since I had gone all out for my evening out with Bruce in months. My face was smooth and contoured, high cheekbones highlighted, full lips painted burgundy and brown eyes large and lined in black.

We both ignored the paparazzi as we entered the restaurant and ignored the hostess. She obviously wouldn't be saying anything to Bruce Wayne. I assumed we were going to choose our own table when I spotted them at a nearby table we were about to pass.

Rachel and Harvey were on a date.

You could never understand the amount of resentment I felt at that moment, as I realized he wasn't taking me out to make it up to me. He was, instead, taking me out to ruin Rachel and Harvey's night.

"Rachel! Fancy that…" Bruce exclaimed falsely, dragging me along to their table. _Fucking hypocrite_ were the only words that passed through my mind at that moment.

"Yeah, Bruce. Fancy that," Rachel replied, unimpressed, as if she knew Bruce's motives. She probably did.

I sighed and plastered on a smile. _The pretty, obedient girlfriend_.

"Harvey, this is Bruce Wayne and his girlfriend Daniela Navarro. Bruce, Dani, this is Harvey Dent," Rachel introduced. Daniela grinned wider as he stood up and shook her hand, smiling politely. Turning to look at Bruce, Harvey hesitated before sitting back down again. Clearly, Bruce wasn't going to be as easy to get along with as Ella.

"The famous Bruce Wayne…" Harvey said. "Rachel's told me everything about you."

"I surely hope not," Bruce joked wryly, making me refrain from rolling my eyes. How could he be this much of an asshole to me? My eyes began to burn but I swallowed back the lump in my throat and blinked back the water in my eyes.

"And you are Dani," Harvey continued, ignoring Bruce's boldness. "Pleasure to meet you."

I smiled down at him again, glancing at my boyfriend and noting the scowl on his face _because of the fucking nickname_. "I prefer Ella.."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Harvey began to apologize. "It's just that—"

"No, don't apologize," I cut in, smiling reassuringly at him. Honestly, it was so fucking ironic because, being Mexican, I'd gone by the nickname Dani _all my fucking life_. "It's fine. I just prefer Ella over Dani."

I smiled at him again.

"So… Let's put a couple of tables together," Bruce said, all of a sudden, as though he'd just thought of it as an epiphany. I turned to look at him and forced a smile onto my face, one even he could clearly recognize as false. _Are you really going to ruin my night like this? Don't do this to me… please._

"Not sure that they'll let us," Harvey slowly said, almost uncomfortably, glancing around the restaurant. I bet he was almost wishing they would deny his request. But of course, Rachel and I both knew better than anyone that whatever Bruce Wayne wanted, Bruce Wayne got. _Even someone to love him when he loved another._

Bruce only smiled down at him amiably, nodding his head, and said, "Oh, they should. I own the place."

 _You did it_ , I thought, _You always fucking do it_.

* * *

 _Daniela Navarro was eighteen years old when she got her first tattoo. It was the outline of a heart beneath a caduceus on the inside of her left wrist. The caduceus—which is a staff entwined by two serpents and surmounted with wings—is a symbol of medicine, which she got to represent all the medical problems she had suffered in her teens. The heart underneath was to show that she had learned to love herself as she was._

 _Her mom was pretty angry when she found out, but she didn't say much because what was she supposed to do about a_ permanent _tattoo? The rest of her family was "disappointed", but if Ella had never cared about their opinions before, much less would she care now._

 _In any case, Daniela ended up getting another tattoo with her two best friends a few days before their high school graduation. It was obviously a symbol of their friendship and it really was. Those two girls were like her sisters, they had never ever betrayed her. The tattoo itself was an infinity symbol with the word 'promise' scrawled in cursive on one side and three birds in flight on the other. All three girls got the tattoo on their right hip._

 _Her third tattoo was a cursive letter 'C' with a tiny heart at its' end. It was her friend-with-benefit's initial. His name was Carlos, though she would affectionately call him Charlie. She was so completely in love with him, had been since she was sixteen years old._

 _And it's true that at sixteen, you don't know what you want yet. But when people say you can't possibly know real love at that age, Ella could prove them wrong._

 _She had loved Charlie since she was sixteen years old, and at almost thirty years old, she loved him. She was no longer in love with him like she had been—time, distance, and Bruce had all changed that—but that did not change the immense affection she felt for him, the complete love that bloomed in her heart every time she saw him now._

 _Yes, her heart would still twist in her chest when she saw him with his son. Her heart would still throb with the pain of the memories she carried with her whenever she saw him kiss his wife. Yes, her heart would still_ sink to her fucking stomach _when she saw him again after a long while._

 _And that mattered, it did. But it didn't take away from the fact that she loved him enough to be happy for him. He had found his own happiness, his own love. He had married someone he loved the way he had never loved her and had a family that gave him real joy and not the artificial happiness Daniela had given him._

 _But_ because she still loved him _, she looked past that and was happy for him. She cherished their memories in silence—three years of happiness, smiles, laughter, pranks, sadness, tears, screams, fights, anger,_ love _—and moved on with her life._

 _Yeah, Bruce had helped change the course of her feelings for Charlie, but at the end of the day, her love for Bruce did not take away from her love for Charlie._

 _But it didn't help in the slightest to know that she had left that toxic relationship with Charlie_ only to fall into a destructive relationship with Bruce Wayne.

* * *

" _No, we'll never ever learn."_


	6. Chapter 5

**Hey, everybody! Good morning! (Well, it's morning here in Mexico) Anyway, it's Tuesday again! I actually wasn't planning on updating until later, but then _djmick_ 's review warmed my heart and here we are lol :3**

 **So, last chapter, we saw about Daniela's past experience with love, and we'll be seeing more about that here and in future chapters. This is the continuation of the restaurant scene, I promise we'll be seeing more Bruce/Ella one-on-one interaction later :3**

 **to Lili: _Well lol see? This way you're actually rooting for Bruce's destruction at the hands of Ella, so I think that's an easier transition from the good side to the bad side on Ella's part. What I mean to say is you can understand how she gets to reach that rock bottom. I'm really freaking glad you're liking the story :3_**

 **to Lady The Warrior: _Bella, I kinda replied a little late but yeah, we've talked about this lol I'm glad you're still with me, honey._**

 **to djmick: _Here... we... go again, honey lol I'm glad you're following the story this closely lol thanks for reviewing always xD_**

 **to : _I've already replied to your rewiew, love, I'm really happy that you like the story :3 Hope you get to stick with us_**

 **So, as always. Thank you everybody, for reviewing, favoriting, following, simply reading and giving it a chance, be it what it may. Nothing is mine, I am making no profit, this chapter's quotes are from Lana Del Rey's _Blue Jeans_.**

 **Oh, one more thing. I stiiilll highly suggest and insist that you go read Lady The Warrior's Joker origin fic called The Darkness I Invited In! I'm serious, go check it out! :3 Aaaaand, lights, camera... _action_!**

* * *

" _I told you that no matter what you did, I would be by your side."_

 **Chapter 5: Ashes to Ashes**

I looked up at Harvey's words.

"Whoever Batman is, he can't do this forever," Harvey was saying, looking around the table, though I wasn't completely sure how the conversation had veered toward Batman. I turned to see Bruce's reaction, although he remained completely emotionless. He had a knack for that.

Harvey was wrong, though. Bruce _could_ be Batman forever if he chose to. It certainly seemed Batman was more important to the youngest Wayne than anything else in his life, except for maybe Alfred and Rachel.

I laughed lowly, wryly, and said, my eyes trained on Bruce, "Oh, I think he could."

Bruce turned his dark, cold eyes to look at me. Harvey did, as well.

"Oh, a fan?" Harvey asked, smiling slightly, almost teasingly. I turned to look at him as my features relaxed and I smiled. In his honey brown eyes I could clearly see the teasing of his words.

My gaze returned to meet Bruce's eyes as I replied, "More of a… supporter."

Bruce and I leveled each other's gaze until Rachel cleared her throat. I ripped my stare from his and smiled as I shrugged at Harvey.

"But, Harvey," I said suddenly, the tone of my voice changing. "I admit I support Batman, but tell me this. How did we, as a city, as a people, come to idolize a masked vigilante?"

I could feel Bruce's eyes still on me.

"Clarify," Harvey requested, his honey eyes roving my face before settling on my eyes and searching them. I shifted in my seat and rearranged my hands on my lap.

"I mean, imagine bringing your family here. Especially for someone like me. I'm Mexican, but lived in California the majority of my life. So imagine, how it must look to an outsider to come to Gotham? Gotham is a place _full_ of criminals and the mafia and corrupt cops and politicians… Gotham is a place that has idolized a would-be criminal. How would _you_ feel raising your kids here?" I told him.

"Oh, I was raised here," Bruce interrupted, lightening the serious mood I'd unintentionally caused. "I turned out okay."

 _No, you didn't, you insolent, selfish, little prick._

"Is Wayne Manor _in_ the city limits?" Harvey replied, with a little more bite than he probably intended. Bruce remained silent for a moment. At the same time, Rachel stared at Harvey in a reprimanding manner, but Harvey smiled teasingly and Rachel was forced to smile back.

"The Palisades? Sure," Bruce replied, a bit of annoyance creeping into his tone and even into his forced smile. "You know, as our new DA, you might wanna—uhh—figure out where your jurisdiction ends."

 _Shit_ , I thought, watching the smile on Harvey's face slowly fade. _This could escalate quickly._

"You know what I meant," I said, rolling my eyes and nudging Bruce playfully.

"Gotham is proud of an ordinary citizen standing up for what's right," Harvey responded.

I nodded pensively before I replied, "But Harvey, don't you think Gotham needs heroes like you, elected officials? Not a man who thinks he is above the law?"

I could feel everyone's gazes boring into me and I returned Rachel's warning eyes. I was playing with fire here, and all three of us knew it because the only one oblivious to the fact that I was manipulating the conversation was Harvey.

"Exactly," Bruce followed. "Who appointed the Batman?"

 _Asshole._

"We did," Harvey replied without hesitation. "All of us who stood by and let scum take control of our city."

"Might I remind you this is a democracy, Harvey?" I teased, smiling softly at him next to me. He smiled lightly.

"All the more to support my claim. Most—and you said it yourself—of the 'elected officials' are corrupt politicians. So if Batman is here because of someone, let it be clear it is because of us," Harvey argued. And _damn_ , did he have good arguments. "As a matter of fact, when their enemies were at the gates, the Romans would suspend democracy and appoint one man to protect the city. And it wasn't considered an honor, it was considered a public service."

Bruce had been staring at Harvey with an amused smile on his face throughout the DA's passionate speech defending Batman. If only he knew that Batman was the pompous jerk sitting in front of him who would gladly take his woman from him, given the chance…

"Harvey," Rachel said with an amused smile, "the last man they appointed to protect the republic was named _Caesar_ , and he never gave _up_ his power."

"Okay, fine," Harvey finally conceded. "You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain... Look. Whoever the Batman is, he doesn't want to do this the rest of his life. How could he? Batman is looking for someone to take up his mantle."

I turned to look at Bruce, intending on giving him a significant look, only to realize that Bruce and Rachel were sharing a heavy gaze, a look that implied so many things between them. They were so absorbed in one another, they didn't even realize I saw them. I tore my eyes away from them and replied to Harvey.

"Someone like you, Harvey?"

"Maybe," he replied honestly. "If I'm up to it."

"What if Harvey Dent is the Caped Crusader?" I teased, holding up one of the white dessert menus to cover the top half of Harvey's face.

Rachel and I shared a smile as I placed the card back down on the table. Harvey grinned slyly at me and took hold of Rachel's hand on the table. I glanced down and then glanced at Bruce, whose eyes were trained on their linked hands.

"If I were sneaking out every night, someone would have noticed by now."

Ignoring the fact that that certain comment was quite suggestive, I grinned at them and glanced around the restaurant. I don't know why but for some reason, someone near the entrance to the restaurant caught my attention and I realized why when I took a closer look.

"Well," Bruce announced, looking straight into Harvey's eyes. "I'm sold. I'm gonna throw you a fundraiser."

It was Charlie.

* * *

Daniela stood up quickly, cutting Harvey off mid-sentence.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, already walking around Bruce's chair to reach her former lover. Bruce's hand shot out and grabbed her forearm, gently but firmly enough to stop her. She had honestly startled him, and he wanted to know where _the hell_ she was going.

"Where are you going?" he asked, eyebrows knitting together. She stared into his dark eyes for a moment before gesturing toward the table she'd been watching.

"Carlos," she breathed. "Charlie's here."

Bruce followed her hand gesture and nodded grudgingly, pulling lightly on her hand. He didn't like Carlos—could barely stand the asshole—but he was Daniela's family. He was close family, at that, and despite their history, Bruce couldn't just forbid her to talk to him. Smiling, Ella leaned down and kissed his lips softly before he let go and she walked off toward Charlie's table.

Daniela approached the table inconspicuously, where Carlos Escamilla and his wife Cinthia Huerta de Escamilla were sitting. Her heart was pounding in her chest so hard and Cinthia had already noticed her. But Cinthia—being the good friend she'd always been to Ella—merely returned her gaze to her husband and pretended not to have seen her.

Daniela's hands slid over Charlie's eyes and she leaned down to whisper in his ear, "Guess who?"

* * *

 _Charlie had barely turned fifteen and Daniela was already sixteen-and-a-half when they got involved. Their two families were pretty close, although they'd only known each other for a couple of years. Daniela usually spent weekends with the Escamillas and weekdays with the two sons, as well._

 _Charlie wasn't an only child. He had an older brother who was exactly Daniela's age, Martin. Ella was certainly closer to Martin, but something quickly changed when she started spending more time with Charlie._

 _Charlie was exceptionally handsome, even at his young age. He had big, wide, chocolate brown eyes and full, bow-shaped lips. His smile was_ amazing. _He was easily taller than Ella by about five inches, his hair was always styled_ just so _, and he dressed so_ smartly _._

 _Daniela quickly found herself attracted to him._

 _One 25_ _th_ _of August, she fell asleep watching a movie with him. When she woke up, they were holding hands. That's how it all started._

 _A week later, they kissed. The following ten months were the best and worst months of her adolescence._

 _Eventually, in June—she at seventeen years old, he at fifteen still—she gave him her virginity. Despite all the things he had done to her, said to her, the ways he had humiliated her in what would follow, she was with him for a little over three years._

 _There was just_ something _that always brought them back together, despite their arguments and all the vile, vicious things they said to one another merely to_ hurt _. She loved him, simple as that._

 _She later found out she always would._

* * *

Ella could feel the skin over Charlie's high cheekbones move as he grinned.

"Lucas," he said, the smile on his voice evident as placed his warm hands over hers. Turning around at the same time, he slid them down his face until he was looking up at her made-up face and she was looking down at his handsome face.

 _God_ , he had changed so much and so little at the same time. His brown eyes were still huge and still shone. His lips were still that certain rose pink color and still as full as they'd always been. His beard was well-taken care of, his hair styled _just so_ to the side.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming to Gotham?" Ella asked, staring down at him accusingly before Charlie grinned wider and stood up. He scrutinized her for a moment before pulling her into an unexpected hug.

Her heart was pounding so hard against her rib cage and Charlie could actually feel it through the hug. A wave of guilt rushed over him for a moment before he reminded himself it wasn't entirely his fault. He had tried so hard in their adolescence to push her away, hurt her until she would walk away, but it never worked the way he wanted it to.

She walked away, sure… But she forgave him and never forgot him.

It had been evident that she had come to accept the direction their relationship had eventually taken when she came back for winter vacations in freshman year of college. Upon arriving at their grandmother's house at Christmas, she had looked at him with the same love shining in her eyes and the same affection in her soft smile, but she had looked and walked away.

She didn't really talk to him until he had to seek her out. He asked her why she had walked away, and she merely responded _, "You always wanted me to leave you alone. I'm just… finally giving you what you wanted."_

 _"That's not what I wanted. I just wanted you to forget me."_

 _"That's impossible, Charlie. We may as well give up the charade and cut ties if that's what you want."_

 _"I do love you, you know. Not the way you want me to, just the way I_ can _. I don't_ want _to cut ties."_ Biggest lie he ever told anyone. He was just too much of a coward to admit what he felt.

The fractured, skin-deep smile Daniela had given him, though, and the way her eyes shone with unshed tears… it made him realize in that moment how much he had really hurt her, how much he had contributed in _breaking her_.

 _"You don't get it, Carlos." She_ never _called him Carlos. "I don't need your love to validate what I feel for you. Regardless of what_ you _feel,_ I _am in love with you and I love you. Whether either of us likes it or not."_

That had changed his opinion of her, made him respect her even more, despite the fact that he already held her in pretty high esteem.

Back in the present, Charlie stepped back and allowed his wife to hug his cousin.

* * *

Bruce, Harvey, and Rachel were completely silent when I returned. Rachel's eyes bore into mine, knowing who Charlie was and my history with him but choosing not to comment. I think it was safe to assume they'd all been watching my interaction with my family.

Bruce had an almost imperceptible frown on his face. I knew he didn't like Charlie at all, but he was family, after all. Bruce should know better than anyone that there was no longer anyone besides him in my life now. He was casually and nonchalantly leaning back in his chair with his arm extended over the back of mine.

"Where did you go?" Rachel asked, although she knew full-well who the tall, handsome man in the suit was. I just smirked and shrugged, taking my seat beside Bruce—discreetly moving it closer to him as I did—and leaning in to kiss him.

His lips were surprisingly soft, softer than usual, and oh-so-ready for my kiss, as he tried deepening it. I pulled away from him but remained close to his face as I smiled.

"Remember that Russian ballet I told you about?" I asked, widening my eyes and raising my brows a fraction of an inch to make myself look more innocent. Although, dressed like this, I'm not sure how well that would work.

"Yeah," Bruce murmured softly, placing a lock of hair behind my ear lovingly. I bit my lip as I smiled and scrunched my brows together a tiny bit to seem hopeful.

"Will you take me?" I whispered, leaning in slowly. Bruce grinned and nodded, his rough fingers remaining on my jaw line as I finally kissed him.

Rachel cleared her throat.

Embarrassed, I pulled away and cleared my own throat as I made myself comfortable in my seat.

"Care to come along, Rache?" I asked, grinning at her teasingly. She raised an eyebrow.

"Not if you're gonna be like that the whole time," she teased, smirking as my blush deepened. She laughed. "Harvey's taking me, but thanks, anyway."

Daniela grinned and took Bruce's hand in her own.

"So, Harvey's into ballet?" Bruce asked, almost too obviously. I think Harvey almost recognized the fact that Bruce was making fun of him as he looked away. "Anyway, Harvey, like I was saying… You don't understand. One fundraiser with my pals… you'll never need another cent."

* * *

" _Promise you'll remember that you're mine."_


	7. Chapter 6

**So, uhmm... Hi! Lol good morning, everybody, I'm back! I don't really have much to say this time, because... well, I'm not sure why, but yeah, I guess. Oh, and sorry, Bella, for not replying to the review but I kind of... don't have the same access to Internet anymore. Oh, well, here we go.**

 **to** _ **Lady The Warrior**_ **: Yeah, well, Bella... The story's going to pick up pace the moment she meets Joker, which is unfortunately, until after Chapter 10, to be honest. Either way, Chapter 8 is already done, so I'm going to try to update twice a week again :3 Lol I thought about that, but I'm not making these three love triangles into four, it's already way complicated. In any case, Charlie's there to show the change and damage in Ella's personality. Hope you still like it, boo!**

 **to _Lili_ : I love how you always ask questions that seem to be answered in the next chapter because I always am two chapters ahead of the one I updated lol xD In any case, it's a little of both to Rachel. After all, she _does_ love Bruce and subconsciously seeks those moments out, but she didn't think Ella would be aware of their interaction. They're friends, Rachel doesn't want to purposely hurt Ella nor Harvey. The Charlie thing is still up for debate, not even I'm sure how that's going to end... and Bruce is... well, Bruce XD. Hope you're still with me :3**

 **to _Djmick_ : Lol here we are again, and I am _trying_ to elongate the chapters, and this one is, I think, the longest chapter up to now, so... another request taken into account lol Hope you enjoy!**

 **to _Sunshine pebble_ : Thank you, hope you're thinking of sticking with us, as well :3**

* * *

" _Nothing else ever seems to hurt like the smile on your face when it's only in my memories."_

 **Chapter 6: Dust to Dust**

Daniela and Bruce had just gotten back from their supposed "date", which somehow turned into a double date. The worst part was not knowing who in reality was Bruce's date. It was incredible how physically and emotionally exhausted she was. It'd been a long day for her.

There was silence in the car and there was silence in the elevator. She didn't feel like talking to Bruce at the moment, and when he had asked what was wrong, Ella had said she was merely tired. Once the elevator doors slid open, she made her way to the bedroom, heels clicking on the tiled floor and making the only resounding noise in the apartment.

Entering the spacious bedroom, she clapped and the lights turned on as she walked toward the hairdresser. She placed her clutch on the smooth surface before making her way toward the bed. Bruce entered and closed the door behind him.

Ella turned her back on him and the entrance as she sat on the other side of the bed. Bruce internally sighed and rolled his eyes as he silently made his way toward the bed.

 _Why must I have fallen for someone so proud and stubborn?_ , he thought to himself, although he couldn't help the soft, affectionate smile on his face at the thought. He knew despite her flaws, Ella was a unique person.

She was taking off her earrings when Bruce crawled onto the bed and kissed her shoulder lightly from behind. Ella took off the last earring and sighed as Bruce continued to kiss his way up to the tattoo behind her right ear. He placed a hand on her cheek and gently turned her head to face him and kissed her on the lips.

Her bow-shaped lips were soft and _so_ familiar. They were, after all, the same lips he had kissed for the last four years of his life. Her body was the only one he'd touched in the past four years. Her eyes were the only ones he gazed at, her hands the only ones he would seek.

Slowly, she parted her lips, savoring the taste of him on her mouth. They parted long enough for her to lay down and him to crawl over her so that he was basically straddling her again as they made out.

Parting, Daniela sighed in Spanish, " _Ay, Dios._ "

Bruce grinned and leaned back, which Daniela took advantage of by flipping them so that she was the one straddling him. Bruce leaned on his elbows to kiss her before he fully sat up, which led to her taking his jacket off.

The rest of their clothes simply progressively followed.

* * *

 _Bruce cleared his throat as he stood right outside the door to his office, watching his new assistant bending over her desk to sign something, unknowing of his presence. He could still clearly see why he had chosen her the previous night._

 _Daniela, startled, looked up and a light blush dusted over her high cheekbones. She quickly straightened up and threw him a nervous smile._

 _"Mr. Wayne—"_

 _"Bruce," the youngest Wayne cut her off, trying not to smirk at her. He had to be professional, even if he'd already fucked it up. She only nodded and he gestured her to follow him before walking back into his office._

 _Daniela followed him and closed the door behind herself. Bruce stood with his back toward her, staring out of the glass wall with his hands in his pockets._

 _"You can sit, if you'd like," he said, taking a deep breath as he turned around. She had taken a seat with her legs crossed and hands in her lap, eyebrow arched high in question._

 _God, she looked so beautiful in that moment, better than she had the previous night with her mini-dress and tall heels. Her beauty wasn't outstanding. In fact, she was somewhat plain, all things considered. But there was just_ something _about her mannerisms that pulled him toward her like gravity._

 _"Ms. Navarro—"_

 _"Daniela," she cut him off, a smirk that leaned toward her right and highlighted her prominent cheekbones on her face. "I think,_ Bruce _, after last night, we can just… not pretend, if that's alright."_

 _Bruce tried to hold his grin back._

* * *

"I love you," Bruce whispered as Ella leaned down to kiss him. "I love you, R—" he cut himself off and hesitated, holding his breath as he prayed she didn't hear his fuck-up. "—babe. I love you so much, Ella."

Daniela released the breath she'd been holding in as she moved against him, the pain in her chest creating a lump in her throat. A teardrop rolled down her right cheek as she held in a sob, lowering her head so that her hair would hide her face. Bruce knew he fucked up and reached up with his hand, placing it on her left cheek and leaning in to kiss her tenderly.

Ella panted, stifling the sounds by kissing Bruce again and again, unable to decide whether she wanted to stifle moans from pleasure or sobs from pain.

Ella threw her head back as Bruce grunted and she cried out, the end drowning in a sob. Her eyes barely registered the bright, full moon visible through the glass wall in front of her as they blurred with tears.

* * *

 _"Charlie was always an asshole to me. Once_ he _had matured—because his unwillingness to talk with me had always been our greatest issue—we talked. He told me it was his way of pushing me away to forget him because what we had was impossible."_

 _"Nothing is impossible," Bruce whispered, his hand slowly caressing my right cheek as he stared into my eyes with the utmost honesty. We were both sitting on the bed, me cross-legged on the left and Bruce facing me with his right foot on the bed. His arm was propped on his bent leg with a glass of red wine in his hand and his face was so close to my own._

 _Even though I had arrived at the penthouse pretty damn drunk, the weightless feeling was slowly dissipating and my dulled senses were returning to normal. I was still nursing a glass of whiskey on the rocks, but it had long been forgotten with our conversation._

 _Bruce always took advantage of those moments with me, because he knew that was when I was most vulnerable. It was difficult to get me talking about my past when sober, and he had quickly learned that._

 _"I know," I whispered, my head hanging slightly, though my gaze was raised to look into his dark eyes. "I never told him that, though. He knew what I felt for him but everything he knew wasn't information voluntarily given to him. I was always too proud to look him in the eyes and tell him I loved him knowing I would be rejected."_

 _"You never told him?" Bruce asked, frowning slightly as he took a sip of the red wine. I merely shook my head and looked down at my glass as I swirled its contents within, a small frown on my own face._

 _"No, not at first. Once, though, we got into a fight and he implied I was whoring myself out with one of his cousins. We were in public though— whisper-arguing—and he said something. I don't remember what, and I said 'Everything I've done… it's because I love you.'…"_

 _My voice trailed off, my eyes losing their focus as I remembered that one night. Bruce gave me a few moments of silence as he studied me, before taking my hand in his own._

 _"What did he say?"_

 _"He said 'I already suspected it.' So I said, 'So you just don't give a fuck?' He… He couldn't even look me in the eyes. He just remained silent…" My voice trailed off in a hoarse whisper, tears shining in my eyes._

 _Bruce's thumb rubbing the back of my hand brought me back to the present. I made a small noise in the back of my throat before blinking and throwing back the rest of the whiskey in the glass in one gulp._

 _"How long have we been together?" Bruce asked me, running one hand through his soft hair whilst he drank more wine. I gave him an awkward facial expression, trying not to flinch at the burn of the liquor but convey my confusion. Bruce laughed at that and leaned into give me a brief kiss._

 _"I'm serious," he said, once he pulled back. A strand of hair fell over his eyes and I smiled as I pushed it away._

 _"Two years," I responded._

 _"And how many times in those two years have I told you I love you?" I shrugged and lowered my gaze at his question. Bruce wasn't really an expressive guy. Thankfully, he got the whole communication thing because he knew it was a big issue with me. Whenever we needed to talk, we_ did _talk and with the utmost honesty._

 _But in the general sense of the word, Bruce wasn't expressive. He didn't wear his heart on his sleeve; he liked to keep his feelings to himself. This resulted more in a distant boyfriend than an affectionate one, so there weren't many 'I love you's involved. It wasn't a problem for me, I loved Bruce for who he was, after all. But it was still the truth._

 _"A handful," I finally muttered, my gaze still on the now-empty whiskey glass. In truth, he had told me he loved me enough times for me to believe it._

 _Bruce raised my head with his finger under my chin. My chocolate brown eyes met his, those eyes that were always a different shade of brown that I loved._

 _"I love you," he whispered. His eyes were honey brown. "Don't ever forget it. Things can change, but I'll always love you. Okay? The same way you've told me that I helped you get over Charlie, after he was the only one you'd ever loved… Well, you've done the same. You've helped me become the man I am today. And you know what they say? After your first love, comes your true love…"_

 _He kissed me again, his hand moving to my cheek. I gently pulled back and took his face in my own two hands._

 _"You know what they say? Your second love is more admirable than your first, because it makes you believe in love again after you've given up on it… despite the way you never forget your first love," I murmured, voice deep. Bruce grinned, staring into my eyes with utmost affection, and kissed me again._

* * *

They both remained silent and unmoving for a few moments, taking time to catch their breaths.

Lowering her head, Ella covered her face with her hands, Bruce still inside her, trying to so hard to stifle the screams that wanted to make their way out of her throat. She lay against his chest as she calmed her breathing.

 _"Why did you choose to fuck me, then, if you felt nothing?"_ Daniela could hear nineteen-year-old-self screaming in her memories.

 _"I didn't_ choose _you," Charlie had replied, voice full of disdain and upper lip curled in annoyance. "Let's get that straight. You were_ never _even a choice for me, much less my first choice."_

 _And Daniela had long since lost her dignity. Because it wasn't the first time Carlos had said something so vicious and cruel, not the first time he had hurt her, broken her. Not the first time she humiliated herself and let him do the same._

 _"Then, why?_ Why _do you keep coming back to me? Why not go to another one of your whores?" she asked, her voice wet with the tears that shone in her eyes. Charlie stared at her and raised an eyebrow._

 _"Why?" he repeated. "Why walk, when_ you _come to_ me _?"_

 _That was the last time Daniela was ever with him._

Ella, remembering all that, took a deep breath and pushed herself up. Bruce slid out of her and she climbed off the bed to walk into the bathroom. She could feel his eyes on her the whole time, but she refused to acknowledge him or his mistake.

Ella turned the light on and stood, leaning on the sink, feeling an indescribable rage building up inside of her. She tightened her grip on the edge of the sink and scars on the back of her hands stood stark-white against her natural light tan complexion.

She took another deep breath and relaxed her grip. She was angry at herself _because_ she couldn't even be angry at _anybody or anything_ anymore. Who was she supposed to blame now?

Bruce? Bruce would never change, and she _fucking knew that_. She only had herself to blame, because she was the only one keeping herself in the _same fucking situation_.

Daniela cleaned herself up and made her way back to the bed, where Bruce lay with his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling.

Ella climbed in beside him and turned her back on him. Bruce turned to look at her and hesitated only for a moment before curling around Daniela's form. Ella grinned and turned herself around in his arms to look at him.

His eyes were chocolate brown. She kissed him lightly, still smiling, before she clapped. The lights went off and her smile faded.

* * *

 _Bruce and Ella had been professional. They really were._

 _Despite the way they met, he was only her boss. They, fortunately, formed a great friendship that felt like they went years back, but during work, they were mostly professional._

 _Daniela, being his assistant, was with him for long periods of time, and their boss-employee relationship eventually evolved into a simple friendship. And not just any friendship but a friendship where they actually trusted each other and weren't afraid to be who they were in front of the other._

 _They spent their days making jokes, calling each other names and nicknames, teasing each other, having actual fights followed by reconciliations. They absolutely adored each other and weren't afraid to show it—and wow, did Bruce get criticism as a consequence—but not anywhere. Both of them knew when they had to keep it professional._

 _That all ended on one certain night._

 _Lucius had gotten fed up and set Bruce a certain task, certain reports required over a period of approximately one month. This was a certain task that Bruce had procrastinated on. Two nights before he was supposed to turn them in to Lucius, he asked for Daniela's help. She agreed to go to his penthouse—somewhere she actually went to often—but only on the condition of being paid extra hours._

 _Bruce had laughed and said, "You can't even do this as a friend?"_

 _"Friend?" Daniela had laughed. "Friend, you're forgetting you're my boss and you pay me. I wouldn't even do it free for my_ sister _!"_

 _That first night, she had ended up leaving at one in the morning. The next day and night, they also worked on the reports. At about midnight, Ella was fed up._

 _"Bruce, I'm going to get something to drink because I'm just about ready to throw myself off the roof," she announced as she stood up from the sofa. Bruce had turned to look at her but found she was already filling a wine glass with red wine. "You want one?"_

 _Bruce made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat. Daniela was already pretty familiarized with the penthouse, and they_ were _friends above anything else._

 _She didn't serve him anything since he didn't give her a straightforward answer. Instead, she took the glass to where he sat on a desk chair, reading over some numbers. Ella offered him the glass as he put the list down, and he took it, throwing his head back._

 _Bruce took a drink of wine as Ella placed her hands on his shoulders and began to massage. His jacket had long since been discarded and the top of his shirt was unbuttoned, leaving his tie to hang loosely around his neck. Bruce made a noise of appreciation, before Daniela stopped her ministrations._

 _She snatched the wine glass back and took another drink as she walked back to the sofa. Sitting down, she slipped her pumps off and said, "Bruce, we need to finish_ now _."_

 _"Ella, there's only six left. You do three, I do three."_

 _They left it at that. Except that when Ella announced she was done and lay back on the sofa in relief, it was 3 a.m., and she fell asleep._

 _Bruce, snickering, had finished off his own and carried her into his bedroom. He lay her on the bed before making his way back to the living room and falling asleep on the sofa._

 _In the morning, Alfred woke him._

 _"Master Wayne," the Englishman had said, "I'm afraid Ms. Ella seems unable to wake up at the moment…"_

 _Bruce smirked and said, "Give her some time. I'm going to take a shower." As he made his way toward his bedroom, he turned back and added, "Oh, and… can you get me a black bodycon dress with a white blazer in a size 5 and medium, please?"_

 _A certain expression flitted over Alfred's face before he nodded, turning back to what he was doing, and said, "Will do, sir."_

 _Bruce continued on his way and when he entered the bedroom, he found Daniela stirring. The sun was just starting to slant in sideways on the floor, given that the glass wall was on the north, when Daniela propped herself up and turned to him._

 _Her shoulder-length brown hair was sort of a mess, and her makeup was smudged, eyes bleary and sleepy… but she'd never looked more beautiful to him. The sunlight was illuminating her without falling directly on her and she looked_ beautiful _._

 _"Bruce—" Daniela was sitting up as she said._

 _Before either of them knew what the hell was happening, Bruce was standing her up and kissing her._

* * *

" _What are you doing, my love?"_


	8. Chapter 7

**So... yeah. It's been a few months...**

 **Lol I'm so sorry to the people that were left waiting for my update. Life got a little crazy and also Family and some serious issues and also Laziness. Lol I'm sorry, I'm not making excuses, but honestly, I really like this story, so I'mma keep going at it :3**

 **Major super thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and/or followed. Y'all know I usually reply to reviews, but I figured you guys have waited long enough (also, I lost track of the reviews. Gonna have to go back to that xD)**

 **I was also iffy about this chapter, wasn't completely satisfied with it.. I did rewrite the bottom half, and trust me, it came out way better than it originally was. As usual, here you go and the quotes are from Automatic Loveletter's _Back To Life._** Enjoy!

* * *

" _Tell me, please, how this story's gonna end or begin..."_

 **Chapter 7: Unraveled**

Eventually, I ended up with my head lying on Bruce's chest as I listened to the steady beat of his heart. He had merely muttered a sleepy "I love you" as his breaths evened out, and he fell asleep.

I couldn't, though.

I simply extracted myself from Bruce's embrace, grabbed a bottle of Remy Martin, and sat cross-legged on the rug in the living room with the bottle nursed in my hands. Taking a gulp of the liquor, I wiped at the tears running down my face, though they didn't stop.

 _Bruce and I were getting ready for an inauguration party at the new hotel in Gotham, where_ obviously _the young Wayne billionaire had to make an appearance. Rachel seemed to always accompany us to events, and Lucius was coming as well._

 _Bruce was just getting out of the shower, and I was putting on my jewelry. I was actually wearing a floor-length, black-and-gold Oscar de la Renta dress and gold Louboutin stilettos. My makeup, as always, was flawless and my hair half-done-up and curled._

 _Standing in front of the mirror, Bruce stood behind me with his hands on my waist. His shirt and cuffs weren't all buttoned yet, and his hair was still disheveled from the towel, but as I looked at his reflection, I could_ swear _I had never loved him as much as I did in that moment._

 _He rested his head on my shoulder lightly, his hot breath on my neck, before he placed a kiss on my cheek and wrapped his arms around my small waist._

 _"You look absolutely beautiful," he said, looking at my reflection with a soft smile. I grinned and turned myself around in his arms. I lowered my gaze, fixed his collar, and buttoned the rest of his shirt. Bruce merely continued to hold me as I lay my hands on his chest and my head on his shoulder, breathing in the scent of his after-shave and something that was merely_ Bruce _, committing it to memory._

 _"You should finish getting ready," I muttered, finally extracting myself from his arms a few moments later. He nodded, buttoning his cuffs and then moving on to his hair. Meanwhile, I spritzed some perfume on and sat on the edge of the bed._

 _Bruce sometimes gave me those smiles, the ones that made me realize that he did love me. Maybe not as much as Rachel, but he did love me in his own way…_

 _"Do you love her?"_

 _The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. I didn't actually mean to ask him… I was too much of a coward to ask him._

 _"Mhmm?" Bruce mumbled, finishing putting on his shoes and standing up. He was almost done getting ready, only needed to put on his blazer, which was on the chair he sat on._

 _"Do you love her?" I repeated slowly, almost fearfully._ Well, the cat's out of the bag, might as well just get it out. _Bruce looked up at her with something akin to curiosity in his dark, dark eyes. It wasn't exactly confusion—almost as if he expected the question eventually—but_ intrigue _._

 _"Love who?" he responded, picking the blazer up from the back of the chair, continuing to stare at me._

 _"Rachel."_

 _There was silence as Bruce put the blazer back down on the arm of the chair. He made his way toward the bed slowly, his eyes never leaving my face._

 _"Yes, but not like I love you," he finally replied once he reached me, standing me up by my arms. "She's been with me since we were children. But I fell in love with_ you _."_

 _I think a lie has never slipped so easily from his lips before._

 _I smiled gently and stood on my tiptoes to kiss Bruce briefly._

 _"I love you so much," I breathed against his collarbone, believing the lie wholeheartedly, without hesitation because I wanted it to be true_ so badly.

Clearly, the lie was unraveling itself in our very hands. He had said her name! He had _nearly said her fucking name_ …

I had downed about a third of the bottle by the time the tears stopped. Replacing the bottle in the cabinet as if I had never touched it, I made my way back to our bedroom.

* * *

Bruce was awake. He couldn't sleep after his fuck-up.

He was wide awake when she left and he was wide awake when she climbed back into the bed. He'd been wide awake when he heard her soft sobs from the living room. He was wide awake when she turned her back on him.

 _Before either of them knew it, Bruce was standing Daniela from the bed and kissing her. One of his hands trailed up her arm to tangle in her tousled hair whilst the other cupped her cheek gently. He softly nipped her lip before finally pulling back slightly._

 _Daniela's big, brown eyes opened wide and looked up at him, since she was significantly shorter than him without her heels._

 _"What… What did you just do?" she breathed. Bruce grinned; he couldn't believe he'd gone a whole damn year with the temptation of doing that again. And so, he couldn't take it anymore, he had finally given in._

 _"I give up," Bruce murmured, his thumb stroking her cheek. "I've wanted to do it from the moment we_ met _. I've been wanting to do it again since that night…"_

 _Daniela grinned before she jumped up, wrapping her arms around his neck, and crashed her lips onto his again._

* * *

Improvements.

Bruce had asked Lucius for improvements on the Batsuit. All that he could already do wasn't enough for him, he wanted more. It wasn't really surprising, Bruce was sort of a perfectionist as Batman, although not so much as Bruce Wayne.

Bruce and Lucius were discussing his new accessories or whatnot as I idly stood by, casually listening to the details of a suit I didn't understand and a mission I knew nothing about. I felt like an outsider to something I _should_ be aware of, but… I'd gotten used to it.

"I must say, compared to your usual quests, jumping out of a plane is pretty straightforward," Lucius commented, surprising me enough to make me look over. I knew nothing about Bruce jumping out of a damned airplane?

I usually wasn't told much about his Batman doings and missions.

"Well, what about getting back _in_ the plane?" Bruce asked, his deep voice making my toes tingle. It was amazing how much Bruce could still affect me with the smallest of things despite how many years we had been together already.

"I'd recommend a good travel agent," Lucius replied, making me smirk as I studied the locker-type storage drawers in front of the table the two approached. I wasn't about to comment because I _had_ nothing to comment—I would certainly talk to Bruce later—and I wasn't down here much, so I was merely looking around.

Plus, I didn't really want to know about the Suit. Knowing the details of what it could and couldn't do to protect Bruce would just make me more nervous on those nights he would go out.

"Without it landing," Bruce finished, making me suck in a deep breath as I tried to open one of the drawers. I was curious as to what I could find if I managed to open it. The chances of that were slim, obviously, but then I got curious about _how_ the drawer was opened in the first place.

"Now, that's more like it, Mr. Wayne…" I could hear the smile in Lucius's voice, which made me roll my eyes as I continued my efforts on the storage thing. I blocked out the rest of their conversation to focus all my concentration on the drawers. I was probably wasting my time, but I really wanted to see if I knew Bruce Wayne enough to figure out how it opened. I probably didn't.

I recognized the sound of a hydraulic hiss but I paid it no attention… Mhmm, except maybe there was a button somewhere that opened it. That's how most of Bruce's secret compartments and doorways were designed, after all.

Leaning in close to the metal, almost pressing my face against it, I placed my hand on the cold metal, also inches from my face and inspected for rare sounds or weird ridges.

Then, there was a hissing sound. I only heard a _whoosh_ by my ear, felt the wind that raced by my cheek, and then something was impaled centimeters from my fingers and face. My heart racing, I quickly pulled my hand away and stepped away from the unit, turning toward Bruce and Lucius.

Bruce was holding an arm guard aimed in my direction, where I assume the six blades now pierced in the metal of the drawers I was inspecting had come from.

"Are you okay?" Lucius immediately asked, sounding as alarmed as I secretly felt. I mutely nodded my head, heart racing and blood pounding through my veins. Bruce looked at the unit, at the arm guard, at Lucius, at me, almost as though he were confused or surprised by what just took place.

Lucius turned to my boyfriend before coolly commenting, "Perhaps you should read the instructions first?"

"Yeah," Bruce murmured, nodding his head as he replaced the arm guard in its place. They continued their conversation as though I'd never been there.

Oh, we _certainly_ would talk later.

* * *

 _The first time Bruce slept with Ella was three months after they became official._

 _He had been a bit anxious to become official with her, because although it was a while after Rachel told him she couldn't be with him, he didn't want her to get the wrong idea. He_ would _wait for her, but… Daniela was changing things for him._

 _He already knew her for a year, and she was absolutely amazing. He could talk to her about anything, and she could be trusted with his_ life _. She was… everything he never knew he wanted._

 _That day had been a good day. Bruce had sent her a good morning text, they had joked around and lightly flirted during work, and then gone their separate ways for their date that evening. Bruce had taken her to a nice Italian restaurant, and then, they walked to the penthouse together, hand-in-hand._

 _Daniela had always been thick. Not_ fat _, not heavy, not anything. She was merely thick, because although she had a small waist, she had a body shape that wasn't very common, an 8-shape. Her hips were definitely wide, and her waist was definitely pronounced, but her hips were very high. That way, her hips weren't exactly rounded, and the curve of her waist wasn't exactly smooth._

 _But Ella knew how to dress. She knew what made her look hot, sexy, cute, innocent, sensual, etc._ But then _, Ella started working out._

 _Now, she was thin. Not excessively, but she was thin and toned and she finally had what she wanted. So, that night, she gave into Bruce's charisma and her own desires._

 _He had already seen the C behind her ear during a certain position, and Ella had told him she had various tattoos. That night, when she lay with the sheets thrown haphazardly over her naked body, the moon illuminating her with its rays from the east, he saw her for who she was._

 _She had a tattoo of a dream catcher in the form of a lotus flower on her left ribs, which he would later learn she got because of her stepfather. Ella had always wanted to believe in the power of dream catchers because she'd had many nightmares about her stepfather, and so she got the tattoo._

 _But what Bruce saw that night, Daniela's dark hair laying around her head like a halo, eyes closed, mouth slightly parted, wasn't her various tattoos. It was the scars that covered her entire body._

* * *

"What the _fuck,_ Bruce?!" I exclaimed as soon as Bruce closed the door of our bedroom after I dragged him in. We were done for the day and were back at the penthouse. I had bitten my tongue on the issue at hand all day and had kept quiet until we were in the privacy of our own home.

"I'm _sorry_!" Bruce repeated for the third time that day. When we were stepping out of the elevator that morning, he had hugged me and whispered an apology in my ear, but I was still in a mild state of shock and didn't respond. He had reiterated the apology when we stepped into his office and he gave me a small kiss. I still didn't react. "I didn't know the arm guard would do that!"

"That's not what I'm mad about!" I retorted. "It's about your reaction! You didn't say anything! Can you imagine what that would've done to me? And you didn't care!"

I was standing by the door while Bruce had stopped near the bed. He wasn't facing me but turned slowly to look at me, his head still bowed.

"God forbid you get a scar, Daniela." His voice was low and cold as his dark, dark eyes studied me. I froze. That was a low blow.

"What did you just say to me?" I replied. Bruce didn't say anything as he raised his head. Indignant, I made a noise in the back of my throat as I started to unbutton my white shirt and pulled it off jerkily—the anger was making my movements sloppy—and threw it on the ground. Bruce's expression didn't change as I grabbed the waist of my pencil skirt and bent down to throw it on the ground. I kicked it further away with my heels.

I stood in front of an expressionless Bruce Wayne in my white lace bra and underwear and black pumps, my arms spread open at my sides. His eyes scanned the length of my scarred body in silence.

"You think I give a damn about a scar? Tell me if I look vain enough to worry about a fucking scar." My voice was normal, if not a little strained. "I have as many scars on my body as you do, Bruce. My issue is not about a fucking mark on my face!"

Bruce's eyes remained on my face, watching my facial expressions.

"My issue is that you could have cut off all the fingers on my fucking hand and you wouldn't give a damn! I swear to God, you barely looked at me and then acted as though I wasn't even there."

Bruce's expression finally broke and he walked toward me with his hands outstretched.

"I already apologized!" He sounded exasperated. "What more do you want?"

"It's not about the apology, Bruce! How many times do I have to say this? It's about your reaction!" I paused and then whispered, "I want to know since when do you not care?"

Bruce faltered slightly as he stood in front of me and took my face in his hands.

"I do care," he assured me quietly before he kissed me lightly. "It's just… I was just as surprised as you were. I didn't know how to react initially. It was easier to pretend that didn't happen without wondering about the what-ifs."

My eyes searched his chocolate brown eyes. It was amazing how much his eyes changed shades almost depending on his mood.

I could honestly relate to what he was saying because that's how it'd been initially with me, too. When were down there, I also ignored what had happened because it was _easier_. In the way up on the elevator, I started imagining what would have happened if my hand had been raised higher or my face closer or even if the blades had hit my head. That's when I entered a mild state of shock and remained unresponsive for a while.

I breathed out slowly in relief and nodded. The corners of Bruce's lips twitched and he leaned in to kiss me. I was about to ask him why he couldn't just tell me that from the get-go, but then thought better of it. If getting me to talk about my feelings was like pulling teeth, Bruce wasn't any easier and I knew it.

Bruce and I broke apart, and I smiled as I stepped out of my heels and walked around him.

"Now," I said as I grabbed some black spandex leggings to work out from a drawer, "where are you going, when, why, and how?"

I heard Bruce make a small sound of amusement where he still stood. I don't know if I was really expecting him to answer or to ignore me as I slipped the leggings on and then searched for a blue sports bra.

"Well," he started to say. "I have to go to Hong Kong to get Lau back. The Chinese won't extradite one of their own, and we need him here for Rachel… and Harvey."

I was honestly quite surprised that he did answer my question as I unhooked my bra. It slipped from my shoulders as I turned to face him. Bruce was now sitting on the bed, leaning back on his hands, his body turned toward me but watching out the window.

"What?" My voice resounded in the silence of the room as Bruce turned to look at me. His expression quickly changed into a smirk as he sat up, and it took me a moment to realize it was because I was standing topless in front of him. I rolled my eyes goodnaturedly as I let the bra hit the floor and slipped on the sports bra.

Bruce remained silent as he surveyed me.

"You're going to Hong Kong? When? And how? What's the alibi?" I continued to question. Bruce shrugged and I turned to look for my black cross-trainers.

"Tomorrow." I stopped in the process of slipping them on and gaped at him. "I'm taking a plane and you heard me talking to Lucius about how to get back earlier today…"

I continued putting on the shoes and then stood. I wasn't sure how to react to the news, but then decided _not_ to react. Bruce had already made his plans and probably wouldn't listen to anything I had to say, so it was easier to just go along with it.

"Alibi?" I insisted as I pulled my hair into a high ponytail. Bruce remained silent for a moment, avoiding my gaze, before telling me.

We would be taking the entire Russian ballet on a yacht. We referred to Bruce, Alfred, and I. That's pretty much where mine and Alfred's participation ended. Afterwards, Bruce would be leaving in the plane to Hong Kong, where he and Lucius had created this intricate, little plan to capture the Lau guy.

 _Amazing_ , I couldn't help but think when I was informed of the alibi, standing in front of him in my workout attire. Just because Rachel was going to be attending said ballet with her boyfriend, my own boyfriend had to ruin her night? _Amazing._

My expression remained blank, though. Two could play at that game.

"Bruce, you're leaving me _alone_ with the entirety of the Russian ballet for the whole weekend?" I clarified. Bruce nodded with an eyebrow half-raised as he looked my way. "Well, I'm inviting Cinthia and Charlie, then."

His expression flickered into an annoyed frown before he quickly schooled his features into a blank look. I didn't give him a chance to respond as I walked out of the room with my iPod in hand.

* * *

 _Turns out, Ella herself had created the marks that covered her skin like the battle scars of a beast._

* * *

" _Don't give up on me now."_


	9. Chapter 8

**New chapter :3**

 **Sooo.. I hope you like this chapter, there's really nothing I wanna say. I do want to clarify something, though. I've already messaged her, but _owlzilla_ commented in her review that she doesn't understand Ella's motivations on staying with Bruce.**

 **So, guys, it's not really about her self-worth, she knows she doesn't deserve what she's given _._ And it's not about "fixing" him because I believe that you simply can't change somebody who doesn't _want_ to change. Ella stays with Bruce because she loves him. That's sacred to her, because when she loves, she gives herself over completely. Consider Charlie, who she fell in love with at sixteen (and continues to love) and didn't give up on her love for him until eight years later, when she met Bruce at twenty-four. So she latches onto Bruce for the same reason. She loves him and has given up so much for him to just walk away. She stays and hopes that some day he will treat her better. Although, if you think about it, Charlie's behavior has nothing on Bruce's (although the age difference should be taken into account lol)... I hope my explanation makes sense xD  
**

 **Lili: Exactly. That was Daniela's biggest mistake because she had already gone through the same thing with Charlie, and she continued to disregard it with Bruce in favor of "following her heart." This is the result of that.**

 **Quotes are from A Great Big World's _Say Something_. Enjoy!**

* * *

" _Anywhere, I would've followed you."_

 **Chapter 8: Wound So Tight**

Daniela broke through the surface of the crystal blue water and swam to the ladder of the yacht, a huge grin on her face. She loved swimming. She always had.

Reaching the top of the ladder, Bruce turned and took off his sunglasses to stare at his girlfriend. She came up slowly, dark hair dripping water, wearing a black monokini. The top was a regular halter bikini style, but there was a long strip of fabric that led to the bikini bottom. The sides were all held together by a lot of thin straps down them.

This only emphasized the pronounced curve of her waist and the tautness of her abdomen. Her legs were long and lean, glistening with water drops that tracked their way over her skin to land on the floor.

It was honestly like the perfect movie scene. You know, the scene where the hot chick just gets out of the pool using the stairs? Exactly like that. Except that Bruce knew her, and he recognized there was more to her than met the eye.

Daniela Navarro had flaws, so _many_ flaws. She was somewhat selfish and somewhat vain—not all of the time, it was mostly like a darker side of her at times—, emotionally distant most of the time and secretly angsty—understandably so—, sometimes cocky and bitchy. She was merely a walking, talking paradox because for all her flaws, she had qualities to balance her out.

When she wasn't being those things, she was selfless and helpful with other people, humble and modest about her looks… Ella could be as sweet as she wanted to, honesty was always a huge part of her—although her mastery at lying could put that into doubt. She could be the most fun, carefree, and easygoing person you could imagine, despite her various relapses into depressive silences. She could be pretty insecure and vulnerable in rare moments.

Daniela liked to feel wanted, even when she was already taken, just to assure herself that she was attractive. She wanted trust, as well, even though she might not have been willing to give it away very easily. She was stubborn and hotheaded and bossy and easily hurt, and he loved her.

Because when she wasn't being difficult, she was amazing. Daniela was an independent woman, confident, a natural leader. She was daring, rebellious, and willing to stand out as an individual, doing unorthodox things. She was aloof and somewhat cold half the time and loving and romantic the other half, just like him. She knew when to let things go if he wasn't in the mood or he was too busy.

She liked her freedom, so she was rarely ever jealous. Ella put up with his own jealousy because she loved him—and because she took it as a reassurance of his love for her at times—, but Bruce was sure as hell that if she didn't, she would've walked away long before then.

Ella was a very intellectual person with many expectations for herself and her career and future. Her bad temper never lasted, and although she forgave and never forgot, she was not a vengeful person… mostly. She was honest and completely faithful, probably never even thinking of cheating on him. She was talkative and teasing and witty with a great sense of humor and _fun_.

All he needed in his life was her.

Plus, sex with her was _amazing_.

But Bruce could admit, at least to himself, Daniela Navarro wasn't the one in his heart.

* * *

 _Once upon a time… in a land far, far away… there was a young princess with eyes like obsidian and a warm, beige complexion that was almost flawless._ Almost _because the princess had many scars on her body. Scars that were, unfortunately, self-inflicted._

 _She was unhappy, as all young princesses are, but not because she was an orphan or because of evil stepmothers. In her case, it was an evil stepfather._

 _In all other aspects, she was mostly okay. The princess had a mother who loved her and a little sister who adored her. She had friends who would give their life for her and she was beautiful in her own way._

 _But the princess was not waiting on a prince to save her. She had long ago come to realize that she was not_ the one _for her prince, and she wanted no other. She either had her prince or she had none, and unfortunately, the answer had become_ none _._

 _No, in actuality, she didn't need all that a princess needed. She knew she was no ordinary princess and knew there were no more happy endings. At least in her case, that cliché was exhausted._

 _She didn't have a happy beginning, why should she have a happy ending?_

 _She never knew her father, and her stepfather molested her._

 _He snuck into her room while she slept and touched her in places no thirteen-year-old should be touched. He taught her not to trust anybody, because if he, the man who had practically raised her since she was eight years old, could turn on her like that… what was to be expected of the rest of the world?_

 _The princess couldn't tell her mother. The queen would have been devastated. And there was still the issue of whether she would be believed or not…_

 _But she was a_ princess _. She had to hide her pain._

 _The only demonstration of her pain went into the scratch marks that would be found in mostly-discreet places of her body years later._

 _Years later, when the whole world turned its' back on her and rejected her. That's when the scratches and scars began to appear._

 _Unfortunately, this certain princess… she got no happily ever after._

* * *

I was laying down on a chaise longue in my monokini with my Roberto Cavalli sunglasses on when I heard the plane. Lifting my head, I watched it land on the water as Alfred made his way toward Bruce, saying, "I believe this is your plane, sir!"

Rolling my eyes to myself, I lifted the glasses off my face and shielded my eyes from the clarity with my hand. Bruce stood up where he sat a ways further on the deck, grabbed the backpack he had beside him, and made his way toward me.

"You look tired, Alfred," Bruce was saying. "You'll be all right without me?"

Making me sit up, Bruce leaned down toward me and kissed me softly. I debated whether or not to say what was on my mind, knowing I probably shouldn't since I was already on thin ice with him after inviting my ex-lover to stay on the yacht with me.

"Why can't I go?" I whispered against his lips. My selfishness overcame my reason. Bruce sighed and then straightened up. I felt like a whiny child at that point.

"We already talked about this," he murmured, taking a step back once he saw the expression on my face. I debated pushing the matter further, but then realized there was no point. Bruce had already laid his plans down meticulously and it would just upset him to have them ruined.

"Fine," I murmured dejectedly and crossed my arms over my stomach. There was a moment of hesitation as Bruce sighed in exasperation and approached me. His arms encircled me as he placed his chin on my shoulder and whispered into my ear.

"You know why I don't want you to go. If being Bruce Wayne's girlfriend has its risks, can you imagine if they found out I was Batman? Can you imagine how many people would be after you? I know I try to keep it well-hidden, but we both know someone could make the connection because nothing is foolproof. I love you, okay? I do this for you…"

I released a heavy sigh as I nodded and unwrapped my arms from around myself, placing them instead around Bruce's neck. His eyes were dark.

"Come back soon, okay?" I whispered. Bruce nodded and smiled, and I did the same before kissing him. He gave me one last peck on the cheek before he grabbed his backpack once more and threw it overboard.

Turning to look at me, he grinned and said, "I love you," before diving into the water. A warm feeling spread through my chest as I tried to contain my smile. Alfred was smirking as he made his way toward me and stood beside me.

"I love you, too!" I yelled after him, standing until I watched the plane take off once again.

"What's the Russian for 'Apply your own bloody suntan lotion'?" he whispered to me. I laughed as I watched my boyfriend fly away.

With nothing else to do now, I sat back down on the chaise longue and slipped the sunglasses back on, willing myself to relax and enjoy the mini-vacation. That's when I heard footsteps on the deck, and since Alfred had made his way back to the ballerinas, I assumed it was my cousin.

I raised my head and bit back my smile. Even though the agitation was evident on his face, Charlie was still the same handsome boy I had once been in love with, and it was obvious now he still managed to evoke the same emotions in me.

"What's wrong?" I asked as he took a seat on the chaise longue next to my own, staring at me. He didn't respond, merely sighed in exhaustion. "Where's Cinthia?"

"I have to tell you something," Charlie said suddenly. The same feeling of anxiety started to crawl its' way into my heart, much like when we were teenagers and he would say those exact words to deliver heartbreaking news.

"What is it?" I nearly whispered, trying not to let the anxiety come through so obviously on my face. There was a moment of hesitation.

"Cinthia and I are getting divorced."

* * *

 _It all started one night Charlie made her hurt so much, she became numb to everything else around her. Locked in the darkness and silence of her room, stifling her screams of heartbreak and frustration, she scratched at the walls and the floor, made a complete disaster of her bedroom. But that didn't help alleviate the pain at all._

 _Frustrated and desperate, she raked her long nails across her cheeks, from one side of her chest to the other, from her throat all the way down to her stomach. She was so far gone, she was glad she felt the pain, glad she felt more than just the_ numbness _that had previously enveloped her._

 _She cried herself to sleep._

 _She woke up with shiny, bright pink scratch marks all over her torso. The pain she had to endure the following three days as the injuries scabbed was worth it. To know that Charlie wasn't the only one who could make her feel something, and that it was only heartbreak._

 _It became her addiction._

 _Not only was it enough to drink and smoke, because those scratches and scabs and scars began appearing more and more often. They were scattered all over her thighs, hidden on her arms with long sleeves, marring her stomach and chest. A few were on her neck._

 _The only reason she stopped was Charlie himself._

* * *

"What?"

"That's the reason we came to Gotham in the first place. We needed to get away from everything back home, everything has been overwhelming us, and it was our last-ditch attempt at fixing our relationship," Charlie explained in a rush, avoiding my gaze. I, trying to take in what he was saying, only sat up with the same dumbfounded expression on my face and faced him, taking the sunglasses off.

"But… what happened?" I murmured, staring at his face as though not really seeing him. Carlos finally raised his gaze to look at me and shrugged.

"It all came crashing down after the miscarriage, but honestly? It all goes back way before that," he replied, and I could feel a rant coming on after the change of tone in his voice. "She… She just confessed she'd been cheating on me. Still is, I think. She said I wasn't there for her when she needed me, but I don't think that's true! She was with me when nobody else was, that's true, but I don't think I completely failed her when she needed me! Honestly, I think she's never _truly_ loved me… at least, not the way I love her."

 _Ouch_.

There was a moment of sudden silence as Charlie realized what exactly he'd said and to whom, but he apparently couldn't find anything to say to fix it. Or maybe he simply didn't care to fix it. He bowed his head and sighed quietly, making me look away.

"Well, you know what they say," I started to say, reverting to Spanish halfway, " _amarás a quien no te ama, por no haber amado a quien si te amó_."*

Carlos looked up at me with a certain regretful expression before he slowly reached out to me, almost as though he were afraid I'd reject his touch.

"I didn't mean it like that..." he muttered, taking my hand in his own. A wave of nostalgia washed over me at the tone of his voice, remembering years ago our fights and the way he would make it up to me, the touch of his hand that felt so familiar, yet so _foreign_. "There's something else I have to confess to you…"

I found I couldn't speak and merely nodded at him to continue. He dropped his gaze to our hands, his thumb slowly caressing the back of my hand, and took a deep breath.

"You know how… when were younger… I always told you I never felt about you the same way you felt about me?" I nodded carefully, feeling my heart start to pick up pace and beat louder in my ears. "I lied. I couldn't… I wasn't prepared to take the risks being with you took, but I lied to you and to myself all the time. I loved you, too, I always did… I still do."

* * *

" _Say something, I'm giving up on you."_

* * *

* _you will love who doesn't love you for not having loved the one who did love you._


	10. Chapter 9

**So, guess who's back.**

 **It's been a long year. I'm trying to get back into this, so please, bare with me and help me out a little here. I once said this was my baby and I would try to finish it so, please, read and review.**

 **Quotes are from Thirty Seconds to Mars's Up In The Air.**

* * *

" _Is this the end I fear?"_

 **Chapter 9: Loose Ends**

There was silence, and the only thing I could hear was the blood rushing in my ears as my heart beat double-time. Charlie's eyes rose to look at my face, but my mind had gone completely blank, unable to fathom the severity of what Carlos Escamilla had just said.

His thumb brushed over the soft skin of my hand and I took a deep breath.

"No," I exhaled slowly. "You know what? Fuck you!"

My voice was barely more than a whisper. I yanked my hand out of his grip and stood up at the same time, turning my back on Charlie briefly. When I was on the other side of the chaise longue, his face was still somewhat surprised but I could tell he was trying to school his features. His eyes squinted as he looked up at me and tilted his head slightly to the left, taking on a confused and concerned expression.

"Dani?"

"Don't fucking call me that!" I hissed. "You have no right-"

But I had forgotten that my dear cousin Charlie had a short temper and absolutely no filter when he got pissed off.

"No right?" he asked, his voice at a normal volume but hard like steel, standing up and leaning toward me. "No _fucking_ right? I´m your fucking cousin, Daniela! Have you forgotten that we fucking grew up together? Or did you forget that living in Gotham to escape your family, living with Bruce Wayne to be better, _fucking_ Bruce Wayne to have what you do?"

My breath got stuck in my throat.

"Go to Hell, Carlos," I whispered, my eyes big and bright with hurt and complete astonishment. But I shouldn't have been so surprised. I had bared the brunt of his hurtful rants for years and years, after all.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll see each other there," he easily replied, appearing nonchalant once more. "But seriously, Daniela. I don't understand you. We both know it's what you've been waiting years to hear, and this is how you react?"

" _¿Con qué cara vienes a decirme que me amas ahora, Carlos?_ " I replied, taking another step away from him. "After everything you did to me for years?"

"I thought we'd already been over this. I thought we'd already talked about what happened and gotten over it?" He seemed genuinely confused. "I was young, Daniela, and stupid and immature. I didn't know what I was doing to you then, I didn't even know what the fuck I wanted."

"And why tell me now?" I countered. "Why come tell me this now? You're _married_ , Carlos. You fucking got married, knowing how I felt about-"

"You had left! You left me-!"

"I needed to get away from everything. I suffered for years over you! And you _married one of my best friends_!"

There was another short silence.

"It doesn't matter, Carlos. You're married, even if you are getting a divorce. I'm with Bruce now-"

"But are you happy with him?" Charlie cut me off, the anxiety rolling off of him in waves despite the knowing look in his eyes. I hesitated… and then was rendered speechless by my own hesitation.

"Of course I am," I murmured, looking at his face with a confused expression. "Why would you think I'm not?"

"You're not, Daniela," he whispered, quickly rounding the chair to take one of my hands in his and cup my face with the other, the desperation completely evident in his voice. "At least not like you used to be. Not like you _can_ be."

"There's no going back, Carlos," I replied, my voice emotionless and level. "You're just confused and hurt by what Cinthia said. Come talk to me when you're not distraught over what's happening to your family. Honestly think things through, please."

I took a step away from him and slipped my hands from his. He shook his head, looking like he wanted to argue but knowing I was serious. I turned to walk away.

"Plus," I added over my shoulder, "You and I were never good together."

His words made my steps falter.

"He's just like me."

* * *

 _"What are the scars from?"_

 _There was a moment of silence, and Bruce distinctly felt Daniela's muscles tense under his hands._

 _"What scars?" she replied, a smirk in her voice. They were on the bed, completely bare except for the sheets covering them. He was on his side, supporting his head on his left hand. She was laying on her stomach, her hands under her chin while Bruce's hand caressed her uncovered back._

 _"Don't play dumb, Daniela," Bruce replied, rolling his eyes despite the fact that she couldn't see it. "It doesn't suit you."_

 _"That's what you think," she murmured, amusement coloring her voice. "It's gotten some good bits of information out of you, and you have yet to notice."_

 _Bruce snorted, leaning over to lick her shoulder near her neck. She immediately caught her breath and her flesh got goosebumps. He blew on the wet skin for good measure and felt her shiver under his touch in satisfaction._

 _"Stop avoiding the question," he murmured, placing a kiss on the tattoo on the back of her neck._

 _"Stop distracting me," she countered, biting her lip and trying to maintain her breath even._

 _"It's the only way to get the truth out of you."_

 _"I was young and stupid… and I thought I was in love," she said after a moment. Bruce stopped his ministrations as the words left her mouth. He tangled his hand in her hair, making her moan, and got a good grip before yanking lightly—she mewled— and whispering in her ear._

 _"Were you not?"_

 _Her breath came out in short pants._

 _"I thought I would die without him," she shot back in her breathless voice. "And look at me."_

 _"Look at you," he whispered against her neck, licking from the base of her shoulder to her jawline._

 _"I'm still here," Daniela exhaled._

 _"With me," Bruce finished, turning her face towards him to attack her lips._

* * *

"I think your fundraiser will be a great success, sir," Alfred said by a way of greeting. I was making my way down the stairs when I heard him and hesitated, wondering if I would hear something I normally wouldn't if I was patient. I could hear Bruce's footsteps stop at the foot of the stairs and could just imagine him fixing his shirt.

"And why do you think I wanna hold a party for Harvey Dent?" Bruce replied.

"Well, I should think your usual reason for socializing, beyond myself and the scum of Gotham's underbelly, to try to impress Ms. Dawes," Alfred replied, making me take a deep breath, waiting to hear Bruce's response. Maybe I had been right.

I wasn't too sure I heard right, but it sounded like Bruce said, "Yeah, very _withdrawn_ and very wrong. Actually, its— uhh— Dent…"

I was prepared to turn and go right back up those stairs, but the sudden silence that overtook the two of them intrigued me. I finally took enough deep breaths to swallow the lump in my throat and made my way down the stairs.

Nobody took any notice of me as I approached the television, standing beside Alfred and away from Bruce. Although, to be honest, I didn't want to talk to either of them.

 _"Are you the real Batman?"_ Joker asked in the video, his voice piqued with curiosity, almost sounding childish.

 _"He's a symbol that we don't have to be afraid of scum like you"_ was Bryan's response.

 _"Yeaahhh, you do, Bryan. You really do,"_ Joker replied. For once, I had to agree with the Joker. You could pretend to be brave, but somebody like the Joker should really scare the shit out of you. He was one of those guys, y'know?

He wasn't a monster, he was a real human being, which made it all the much worse. He was one of those guys that had no limits, no boundaries, no rules. He could and would do _anything_ , uncaring of anyone's life, even his own.

 _"So you think Batman's made Gotham a better place?"_ Joker said in the same, almost-childlike voice. I knew this was hard for Bruce to watch so I walked around Alfred and stood by his side, my body turned toward his and my hand on his arm. _"Mhm?"_ I couldn't tear my eyes off the screen, although it _was_ hard to watch. _"LOOK AT ME!"_

I jumped. Joker's sudden shout scared me enough to make me jump. It sounded so primal and animalistic, it made me forget for a moment that the Joker was actually a person.

Bruce turned his body toward mine and embraced me with his left arm, both of us still watching the video.

 _"You see, this is how_ crazy _Batman's made Gotham. You want order in Gotham, Batman must take off his mask and turn himself in. Oh, and every day he doesn't, people will die… starting tonight."_

I glanced at Bruce's face for a moment before looking back at the screen.

 _"I'm a man of my word,"_ Joker finished, his voice sounding deep, almost handsome in its rich quality. But it had nothing to do with the owner of the voice, someone who seemed almost inhumane.

Then, his hysterical laughing began, just as Bryan's screams did. I turned my head away immediately, placing my other hand on Bruce's chest. Bruce placed his other arm around me just as he turned off the television and hugged me.

"I'm sorry," I murmured, carefully watching the Gotham skyline through the glass windows/walls before turning to look at my boyfriend's face. He was also looking at the skyline through the glass over my head with a frown on his chiseled face.

"For what?" he asked, after a long while.

"Being a nuisance," I whispered. "Because I know what you're thinking… That that's your fault. But it's really not. You didn't choose for the Joker to set his sights on Gotham. You're only one man, Bruce, you can only do so much at once. You're a man with two lives and, in order to keep order in both of them, you have to give each of them their time of day. You know that. That's why you're Bruce Wayne as long as the sun is out, and when the sun sets, you become Batman…"

Bruce finally tore his honey brown eyes away from the distance and looked down into my eyes.

"I know… But why are you a nuisance?" he murmured, readjusting his hands around my waist. I dropped my gaze and played with the fabric in my hand, as both of my hands were now on his chest.

"Because I give you a hard time about trivial things when you have bigger stuff to worry about," I said in a small voice, almost shamefacedly. Bruce smiled and pulled me even closer against him.

"Like what?"

"Like not wanting to take me to Hong Kong," I whispered, making Bruce grin and kiss my cheek.

 _"But are you happy with him?"_

"I don't consider that a nuisance. I consider it more of an… assurance," he said, leaning further away from me to fully see me, although he didn't let go of me. "I'll be more worried the day you don't accuse me of such things."

He softly kissed me before pulling away. Alfred had long since wandered away toward the other end of the apartment floor, and Bruce made his way toward the English butler.

"Why?" I called after him.

" _You're not, Daniela."_

"Because the day you don't care anymore will mean it's the day you've fallen out of love with me."

 _"At least, not like you used to be."_

I took a deep breath and walked toward the glass wall.

 _"… to try to impress Ms. Dawes."_

The Gotham skyline looked impressive from this height. I could only imagine what the ground looked like from the rooftop.

 _"Not like you_ can _be."_

* * *

" _I'll wrap my hands around your neck so tight with love."_

* * *

 _*_ With what face do you come tell me you love me now, Carlos?


	11. Chapter 10

**So, I'm back :3**

 **I'm going to try to be consistent with the updates, but I've never been good with consistency so wish me luck hahaha Anyway, thank you to my Guest reviewer for lifting my spirits :3**

 **Please review, I would like to know your opinion on the story, how I can improve, etc.**

 **Quotes are from Post Malone's Leave. Without further ado, enjoy.**

* * *

" _She said 'love me' so I loved her."_

 **Chapter 10: Tied**

 _I slipped on a sheer black dress over my black bikini and left my room, makeup-less and with my long, curly hair in a ponytail. Alfred had announced dinner a few minutes earlier, while I was taking a shower._

 _When I reached the upper deck where the tables had been set up under some shade, the ballerinas had already begun eating. Alfred was standing near them, talking to someone who was working as a waiter for the moment._

 _"Where are my other guests?" I asked him, walking towards him. The ballerinas saw me, and all began to greet me enthusiastically. I only waved at them from where I found myself._

 _Alfred turned toward me and smiled, looking towards the ballerinas briefly before replying._

 _"I believe they opted to have their dinner inside."_

 _"Oh," I said, glancing towards the rest of the guests who were all busy with each other. "I think I'll join them inside, if our guests don't mind."_

 _When I sat down in front of Charlie and Cinthia, I realized what a mistake that was. It was the most awkward situation I had ever found myself in. Honest to God, the tension in the air at that moment was fucking palpable. I could almost reach out and touch the red-hot of Charlie's anger and Cinthia's ice-cold indifference._

 _I shifted in my seat and continued eating the grilled chicken salad I had asked for, while Charlie drank more and more wine. Pausing in the complete silence of the room, I set my fork down and reached for my glass of sparkling water._

 _Charlie was glaring at Cinthia while she ignored him._

 _"Gabriela," he finally said. "Isn't there something we were going to tell Daniela?"_

 _"What?" she asked, looking up just as I tipped the glass back lightly against my lips. "That I'm fucking someone else?"_

 _The water caught in my throat for a moment, before I swallowed it and coughed lightly._

 _"Oh, that we're getting divorced!"_

 _I set the glass down and looked at the both of them with my round eyes wide. I didn't know what to say to Cinthia's sarcasm, and I'm pretty sure Carlos didn't either._

 _"I don't think you guys are handling this as you should," I finally said after a whole minute of complete stillness on Charlie´s part and mine._

 _"I told you you'd already told her," Cinthia muttered in between bites of her barbeque rib eye. I could feel the bitterness in her voice directed at me, and it struck me for the first time that I may be partly responsible for the problems in their marriage, and more importantly, for their separation._

How much did she know?

* * *

After all the major preparations for the day were taken care of, Bruce told Daniela to climb into the black Escalade because they were getting ready elsewhere.

Ella, who was wearing jeans, slipped onto Bruce's lap as the vehicle left the parking lot to who knows where. She was straddling him, running her hands through his soft hair as she smiled down at him.

Bruce could only stare up at his girlfriend, at the prominent cupid bow of her painted lips, at the lines that formed at the highest point of her cheekbones until her jawline, at her expressive large brown eyes that always followed him. Her wild, long black hair fell over her right shoulder as her perfectly sculpted brow lifted and her smile turned into a smirk.

"What is it, Bruce?" her deep voice murmured, as she neared his face and nuzzled his cheek as a kitten would to his owner's hand. Bruce smiled at the thought and his heart warmed as her sweet scent filled his nostrils.

And he realized in that moment exactly how much he loved Daniela Stephany Navarro.

"I love you," he murmured into her cheek. Ella pulled back and stared down at him. A tiny line formed between her eyebrows as she continued to smile in confusion.

"I'd like to think so," she replied after a moment. Bruce threw his head back as he chuckled. He loved her personality too. Ella snickered. "Just kidding. Love you, too."

Then, she leaned in to kiss him. Bruce's hands followed the soft curves of her waist and hips as hers caressed the skin of his neck before tangling in his hair. He felt the tiny metal ball of her tongue piercing when she pulled back and had to stifle a moan.

"Where are we going, by the way?" she finally asked, sliding off his lap to sit beside him yet remaining with her leg over his. Her head leaned against his shoulder as she slipped her phone out of her pocket.

"To a spa."

"Why?" Ella sounded genuinely surprised. Her head turned to look up at him, though Bruce remained looking out through the windows of the vehicle.

"Because I know you're stressed out," Bruce easily replied. There was a moment of tense silence, almost as though he'd caught her in her lie. "I know you, Daniela, even if you think I don't. I can tell when you're stressing out trying to hide your worries from me. And it _is_ easier for me that you pretend nothing's happening, but… you deserve it, I guess."

"But you say that as if I don't relax enough. Two days ago, I was on a fucking _yacht_ , sweetie," Ella said after a moment, a smile in her voice that didn't reach her eyes. Bruce snorted and shook his head lightly, laughing to himself.

"Your dress is already at the spa. You're getting your hair and makeup done there as well."

* * *

Bruce Wayne arrived at his own fundraiser party as per his usual flair in a helicopter. When he stepped out, he stopped to help out his girlfriend, Ella Navarro.

She looked drop-dead gorgeous in a nude form-fitting Versace dress with a long slit along the left leg and an abstract design over the left breast and strap on the right shoulder. It fit her like a glove, accentuating her small waist, wide hips, and long legs. Her feet were adorned with Christian Louboutin pointed heels that began with a sparkling silver crystal gradient that gave way to nude mesh, complemented by a glittering silver crystal-embellished heel. There were various Anita Ko rings on her hands, as well as a silver cuff on her left arm and diamond studs on all of her ear piercings. Silver and gold glitter covered her eyes beneath the black cat liner, matte burgundy painted her full heart-shaped lips, prominent cheekbones were accentuated with pearlescent highlighter and bronzer carefully contoured her heart-shaped face. Long curly hair was straightened for the event, held back at the sides with an intricate tiara braid, and cascading down her back with soft curls at the ends.

Ella looked absolutely _stunning_.

And Bruce couldn't help but feel like the luckiest man on earth to have someone like her love him so much.

"I'm sorry that I'm late, I'm glad to see that you all got started without me," Bruce announced as soon as he entered through the glass doors.

"Late to his own party," Ella stage-whispered just as Bruce opened his mouth to continue talking. Some guests snickered. The Wayne billionaire turned to look at her.

"Thanks to you," he retorted.

"It takes time to look this good, honey," she replied, leaning back away from him a little but without letting go of his arm.

"You always look amazing, Ella," he replied, looking at her with so much tenderness in his gaze, Ella almost believed him. A few of the female guests "aww"ed at that. Daniela, for her part, merely smiled at him, her eyes shining with the love she held for him.

"Anyway," Bruce said, turning back to his guests, "where is Harvey?"

He walked forward, and Daniela let go of his arm to let him, accepting a flute of champagne for the time being.

"Where—Harvey Dent, the man of the hour," Bruce continued, spotting the man. "Where's Rachel Dawes?"

The crowd split to reveal Rachel, and by her expression, Ella knew her boyfriend would have hell to pay afterwards. Rachel clearly didn't like being put on the spot like that.

"She is my oldest friend, c'mere," Bruce revealed, redeeming himself a little. "You know, when Rachel told me that she was dating Harvey Dent, I had one thing to say: the guy from the god-awful campaign commercials 'I _believe_ in Harvey Dent'? Yeah, nice slogan, Harvey."

 _Aaaaaaand he fucked it up again… Asshole_ , Daniela thought, shaking her head lightly and sighing to herself. Her boyfriend was just digging a deeper and deeper hole for himself. Rachel was now standing near Harvey, glaring at Bruce with a passion. She looked so _sick_ of his shit and Daniela had never seen her look so _aged_ before.

" _But_ it got Rachel's attention," Bruce continued. "Then, I started to pay attention to Harvey, and all that he's been doing as our new DA. And you know what? I believe in Harvey Dent. I believe that on his watch, Gotham can feel a little safer, a little more optimistic. Look at this face. This is the face of Gotham's bright future. To Harvey Dent, let's hear it for him."

Ella couldn't help but feel so _proud_ of Bruce for the sincerity in his voice. But Rachel's face remained impassive, and there was a premonition in her that told her that this hadn't even begun.

She was right. Minutes afterward, it all went to hell.

* * *

 _Charlie sat down beside me, watching me close the book I was reading and take off my sunglasses. The tension between us was almost tangible._

 _"You still say shit you don't mean merely to hurt when you're pissed," I stated, looking at him with my wide, brown eyes. My eyes always gave me, even if I could school my facial expressions. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, after all._

 _"I know," Charlie sighed, leaning his forearms on his knees. "I guess we haven't changed much."_

 _I resisted the urge to let him know that_ he _was the one who hadn't changed. Instead, I remained silent and stared off at the clear, blue sky and the seagulls roaming their free paradise._

 _"I'm sorry," he said after a while. "You were right. I mean, not about me being distraught over the situation with Cinthia. It just wasn't the time for me to tell you what I did."_

 _"Also, the fact that it changes nothing," I added, watching him frown and shake his head lightly._

 _"Maybe it doesn't," he finally conceded after a moment. "But you can't say you're happily in love and living in the moment and enjoying life, or whatever you want to make it seem li—"_

 _"Carlos—"_

 _"I_ know _you, Daniela. I_ knew _you better than_ anybody _for years—"_

 _"That's because you molded me to your perfection," I darkly stated, tilting my head forward to make my glare seem more menacing. Charlie paused and decided to ignore what I'd said._

 _"You_ were _happy with him, maybe, at the beginning," Charlie replied. "But things have changed. And you don't like that. And I can't, for the life of me,_ fathom _why_ the fuck _you're still with him."_

 _He paused to let that sink in._

 _"I don't understand. You're one of the strongest people I know," he continued. "You walked away from me without looking back even after years with me, when it was easier for you to live with what we were, when you were_ so used to it _. Why can't you do that to Wayne?"_

 _"Because I love him."_

 _"God damn it, Daniela!" he exclaimed, standing up and running a hand through his hair in exasperation. "You used to love me, too! Do you remember? Once upon a time, you loved me like you love him!"_

 _I remained silent for a moment._

 _"Maybe, but I was young and—"_

 _"—stupid," Charlie finished for me, "and madly in love. We've all said it, Daniela. He's just like me, and you know it, too. Why are you doing this to yourself?"_

No, we'll never ever learn.

 _I grit my teeth and looked away from him._

 _"That stopped being your business a while ago. Charlie, I think it's better if you leave. And I honestly don't want to have this conversation again."_

 _"What you're saying is you want me to leave you alone?" he asked incredulously. I gulped to myself and nodded my head resolutely._

 _"It's for the best."_

 _Charlie walked away with an incredulous laugh._

* * *

" _She said 'leave me', so I left."_


	12. Chapter 11

**So, hey, it's Friday again and I'm still here updating :)**

 **Anyway, guys, plis, let me know what you think on this chapter, it's one of my favorites :3 I'd like some feedback on the direction the story is taking, but trust me, we're barely getting into the good parts :D**

 **Quotes are from Honest by The Neighbourhood.**

 **On with the story.**

* * *

" _But I couldn't save it. I couldn't save it."_

 **Chapter 11:** **The Beginning**

Bruce led me through the crowds of people out to the balcony, where we stood watching the skyline and moon together. Bruce threw the contents of his champagne flute over the edge while I just balanced my glass precariously on the thin ledge.

He hesitatingly stepped closer to me before slipping one arm around my waist. I turned my body to face him, and he sighed before embracing me and burying his face in my neck. I merely held him closer, my long fingers playing with the hair at the nape of neck. I could feel him fighting with himself to try to control his emotions.

"I'm so proud of you," I murmured softly to him, caressing his neck with one hand and running the other through his hair. His arms tightened around my small waist. "I'm so proud of you because you could be so sincere despite everything."

I cringed to myself, waiting to hear him question why I phrased my statement the way I did. But the question never came, which made me think for a moment he knew exactly what I referred to.

"Do you like Harvey?" Bruce muttered, pulling back but remaining with his hands on my hips. I still had my arms around his neck and looked into his eyes. They were dark as night.

"He's a good man, Bruce," I said after a moment of silence. Bruce closed his eyes as if resigned to my response.

"Harvey may not know you well enough to understand when you're making fun of him, but I do."

We both turned to look at Rachel, who was walking towards us in all her natural beauty and indignant glory.

 _How could she not hear the sincerity in Bruce's voice?_

Bruce paused before he turned back towards me and said, "Go back inside."

There was a stunned silence on both Rachel's part and mine. I could see the surprise at my dismissal on her face just as clearly as she could see the incredulity in my eyes.

"Bruce—" I muttered, looking up at him.

"Daniela, go," he cut me off, taking a step away from me. My hands remained in the air for a moment before I dropped them, biting my lip as I felt my nose burn with tears. Averting my eyes from both Bruce and Rachel, I ducked my head and walked back toward the party.

I was so _done_.

* * *

 _Ella sat beside Charlie for a quiet moment._

 _Her curly hair was still held up, but she was now wearing denim shorts and a white button-down over a blue bandeau bikini top._

 _"How much does she know?" she said after a moment._

 _"The basics."_

 _"But she_ does _know?" she clarified. Charlie nodded, making her take a deep breath. "Fuck."_

 _"It's not something you can really hide when most of the family knew, if not suspected," Charlie stated after a few moments' silence._

 _"What exactly does she know?" Ella asked after hesitating a moment._

 _"That we were fuck buddies. That you loved me. That I was an asshole."_

 _"Do I have anything to do—"_

 _"No, no," Charlie cut her off immediately, turning to look at her. God, he was so handsome. His chocolate brown eyes roved her face for a moment, drinking in her features and facial expressions. "Well, maybe to her, but that's never been an issue in our relationship, not something we fought over or something like that."_

 _Ella sighed in relief._

 _"She does know I love you, though," Charlie continued._

 _Ella stopped breathing._

 _"But she also told me I'm too late."_

Was he?

* * *

Ella looked around briefly, spotting Harvey leading Rachel away from Bruce through the crowd. Bruce was still outside on the balcony, which prompted Ella to graciously excuse herself from the gentleman she was conversing with.

Even though she had thought over and rehearsed countless times what she would say, her breath got caught in her throat when she walked out into the night air. For a moment, she thought she wouldn't even be able to say it. Bruce was too busy looking out over Gotham to notice she was back.

"Bruce," she said aloud. Bruce turned to look at her. "I want to know something and I want you to be honest."

Ella walked until she stood beside him, and still, Bruce said nothing. Taking a deep breath to gather her courage, she stared off at the horizon alongside him.

"Why are you with me, if you are not in love with me?" she finally asked. There was a moment of stunned silence, in which Bruce's heart began to beat double-time, before he groaned.

"Not this again."

"No," Ella instantly replied, grabbing the champagne flute she had left on the ledge and throwing it over the edge. His words had sparked a long-time suppressed indignation within her. "You don't get to write off my feelings as jealousy or insecurity on my part. I'm _done_ with that. I _know_ it's not jealousy and I _know_ I'm not an insecure person. I just want to fucking know why, I just want to understand."

Bruce was quiet for a moment, internally surprised at her reaction. Was she right? Did he manipulate her to keep her from pursuing the subject when she asked?

"I just don't understand what exactly you're asking," he said, turning toward her. Ella refused to turn toward him, remaining with her head held high as she stared at the twinkling lights of the skyscrapers in front of her.

"Maybe you're right," she said after a moment quietly, "and you're not even in love with Rachel. But you're not in love with me and I'm one hundred percent sure of that… I just— I know you love me, is that why you stay with me? Do you hope you can fall in love with me if you're with me long enough or something like that?"

Her words left Bruce speechless, and not just her words but also the tone of her voice. She sounded so sure of herself at first, but the way her last words were tinged with a sad desperation.

And Bruce understood in that moment exactly what he had done, what he was doing.

His heart ached at the realization that he had turned the strongest woman he knew and admired into a woman desperate to be loved in return as she loved. He was slowly breaking her down into something she never wanted to become. And it was his fault, he was doing it to her.

He metaphorically ran into a brick wall as it hit him. She wasn't just looking for a fight, Daniela was looking to end this. She just wanted to know the truth, didn't want those questions haunting her, before she left.

 _But would it be so bad if we stopped with the charades?_ , Bruce asked himself, turning up to look at the moon. _I love her, but not as I should. I should stop doing this to her and to myself. I've lived all my life without her, I won't die if she leaves._

And then the image popped into his mind, waking up without her sprawled half on top of him. They wouldn't fight over who got take a shower first just to end up having sex under the spray of the showerhead. She wouldn't cheerfully greet Alfred in the morning as he served breakfast or start singing at the top of her lungs as she made blueberry pancakes and omelets. He wouldn't hear her laugh at the top of her lungs from across the office when Alex tripped Greyson and smile to himself. He wouldn't watch her run on the treadmill in black spandex and a ponytail, cheeks red from exertion and puffing out some words breathlessly from an Imagine Dragons track that was blasting.

Bruce looked slowly looked down.

Daniela wouldn't laugh as she threw a popcorn at his face and told him to choose a scary movie for fuck's sake. He wouldn't get to stand beside her as she did her nightly routine, applying lotion on her whole body and a million other things as he watched her through the mirror. He wouldn't get to kiss her goodnight and feel her cuddle up to him in the dark.

Bruce stared at his shoes.

It could be someone else, though. The prima donna from the ballet had insinuated herself to him when Daniela wasn't present. It could be _Rachel_.

He couldn't imagine it, but it could be her. It was all he'd really wanted for a long time. If he let Daniela go now, things could be so different.

But they already _were_ different. Rachel was with Harvey, and could he _really_ let Daniela go like that? _Can I live without her?_ Yes. _Did he_ want _to live without her?_

Bruce's head whipped toward her, drinking in all her features as if memorizing her profile for the last time. The length of her thick eyelashes, the sharp shape of her eyebrows, the shadow the hollow of her cheeks created, the prominence of her sharp cheekbones, the fullness of her heart-shaped lips, the length of her straight nose all seemed like things he'd never really seen before.

 _God_ , she looked so _beautiful_ standing beneath the moonlight.

"Bruce—"

 _No._

"Daniela, hold on," Bruce cut her off. "I can't imagine my life without you. When I've had a long day and you smile at me all sweetly like you're telling me you're with me no matter what is the only thing that keeps me sane. When I'm so exhausted I can barely keep my eyes open and you take care of anything that needs to be taken care of so I can rest, when I'm so stressed out and disappointed in humanity and I hear your laugh, when we're laying together on the bed and you're running your hands through my hair and merely breathing… I know I love you. Okay? I love you so much it hurts sometimes."

Ella was momentarily taken aback, because it wasn't like Bruce to declare his love like that. But then again, maybe he realized that the situation was more serious than he'd thought at first.

She turned to stare at him for a moment with tears glistening in her eyes, clearly on the edge of spilling. Then, Daniela smiled a broken smile, tinged with bittersweet and resignation.

"But you're not in love with me," she stated. Her smile grew into a grin, with that same sad taste to it, as she turned to look off into the sky again. A tear slid down her cheek, its track gleaming beneath the moonlight. "I'm glad you won't lie to me, though, that you're honest with me."

Bruce didn't know what to say, didn't know how to _fix it_.

Ella sighed and then turned herself to face him, the way she tried to hide her pain obvious to him. She smiled brightly, bravely, tears still making their way down her cheeks.

"I'm not saying I'm sorry. I'm not saying goodbye—"

Bruce cut her off by grabbing her waist with one hand, cupping her face with the other, and pulling her into a kiss. Her tongue slipped into his mouth, barely brushing his, before sucking lightly on his bottom lip and pulling back. It tasted like goodbye.

She continued to smile sadly, and he could practically hear her voice in his head. _That won't work, Bruce._

"I wish you only the best, Bruce."

Bruce's thumb moved to brush away the tear tracks, but Daniela turned her face away. Her collarbones stood out sharply as she slowly took a step back. Bruce's hand remained in the air for a moment before he put it down, much like she had remained when he dismissed her earlier. The irony was not lost on him.

Ella refused to meet his gaze again as she took a few more steps back. Her head held high, she turned and walked toward the door, back toward the party. Bruce's gaze followed her, his heart pounding in his ears as he watched her thin figure strut out of his life.

* * *

My watering eyes looked around for Rachel as I walked, desperately hoping to find her amidst so many people. I needed to let her know I was leaving, needed to let her know it was over.

I was smack-dab in the middle of the ballroom when the elevators door slid open and a gunshot resounded through the air.

It was the Joker.

* * *

" _If I made it too hard for you, maybe you should have changed it."_


	13. Chapter 12

**It's Friday once more. It's longer, not much going on, but... we finally get to see him next chapter :3**

 **Thank you to reviewers, hope you like this chapter and it lives up to your expectations. Hope you can give me your opinion on how we're following Bruce and not Ella for the moment :)**

 **Quotes are from Wake Up by EDEN. (Totally recommend him, by the way!3)**

 **Without further ado, enjoy!**

* * *

" _And I remember how I spent the 23_ _rd_ _feeling six feet under."_

 **Chapter 12: Descent**

There was a moment where everything seemed to freeze around me—where no one moved a muscle—, before time sped up again and everyone automatically stepped back from the advancing terrorists. The Joker and his men walked into the ballroom, sizing everyone up and pointing their weapons at everybody.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," the Joker's deep voice greeted. He walked around the room through the crowd, causing all the guests to congregate together like a flock of sheep, including me. I kept taking slow steps back—almost as if any sudden movement would end badly—trying to blend into the crowd. But of course, no one was letting me get any further than the edge, leaving me front-seat to the violence that was bound to happen.

"We are… tonight's entertainment," the Joker announced, chewing some snack from the refreshments table. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I briefly wondered _Where is Bruce?_ before I remembered I shouldn't worry about him. He was probably already in his batsuit. "I only have one question: _Where is Harvey Dent_?"

Bruce's words earlier that evening echoed in my head— _Harvey Dent, the man of the hour_ —and the irony was not lost on me. The Joker walked around the guests, taunting and terrorizing them as usual, coming closer to where I stood. With every word he spoke, I realized how much of a sarcastic bastard he really was.

"Y'know, I'll settle for his loved ones."

"We're not intimidated by thugs," Anthony Bellmont, the gentleman I'd been talking to earlier, retorted. I held my breath, not knowing what to expect from the clown, but his facial expression said it all.

"You know… you remind me of my father," he replied calmly. "I hated my father!"

 _Talk about daddy issues._

The Joker held his knife to Mr. Bellmont's mouth, as if threatening to give him scars to match his own.

"Okay, stop."

My head whipped around at the sound of Rachel's voice so close to me. She was walking toward me, approximately a foot to my left, her voice confident and decisive but her posture when she stood beside me gave away her nervousness. Everyone around us continued to step back away from her now that the Joker's attention was on her, but I remained where I was.

"Rache," I muttered, and she startled as she recognized me. "I don't think this is a good idea."

Rachel didn't get a chance to reply, as the Joker began advancing towards us, saying, "Well, hello, beautiful. You must be Harvey's squeeze. Mhm?"

I tried to stand my ground but his attention was solely on Rachel. He didn't even spare me a second glance, which made me think that if I didn't back away right that instant, I was about to become a casualty.

"And you _are_ beautiful."

Rachel couldn't seem to find her voice as the Joker approached like a lion stalking its' prey. I took a couple of steps back, just out of reach of Rachel, as the made-up villain began circling her, making Rache flinch as she struggled to keep him in her sights. I was still standing close to the both of them, but he appeared not to even notice me.

"Oh, you look nervous. Is it the scars?" he said, sounding concerned as though talking to a child. I remained silent, unwilling to draw his attention to me, not even by moving away. "Wanna know how I got 'em?"

Holding Rachel's head in his hands with his blade near her face, he began to tell the tale.

"See, I had a wife- beautiful, like you—who tells me that I worry too much, who tells me that I ought to smile more, who gambles and gets in deep with the sharks. One day, they carve her face. We have no money for surgeries. She can't take it. I just want to see her smile again, hmm? I just want her to know that I don't care about the scars. So... I stick a razor in my mouth and do this... to myself. And you know what? She can't stand the sight of me! She leaves. Now, I see the funny side… Now, I'm always smiling..."

I couldn't help but wonder if the story was true as Rachel kneed the Joker in the stomach, making him groan and step back. I felt like she might have been going for his crotch but missed. The Joker snickered.

"A little fight in you," he sneered, just as a hand on my arm startled me. Turning to my left, I realized it was Bruce as Batman pulling me away from the danger zone. "I like that."

Standing where I had previously been standing, Batman rasped out, "Then, you're gonna love me."

Rachel and I instinctively reached for each other, holding hands, when Batman began to fight off the Joker and his men. Everything was happening so fast, I wasn't completely sure what was going on. The Joker wasn't even fighting Batman, instead sending his men to do the dirty work. I couldn't even find him in the chaos.

Then, I felt Rachel's hand jerk away from mine. I instinctively tried to tighten my grip but both of our hands were sweaty. Looking her way, I realized the Joker was trying to pull her towards him with a gun in his other hand.

"No!" I exclaimed, lunging and latching onto her hand again. The Joker faltered as he saw me, his brow furrowing as though he was seeing me for the first time and trying to recognize me. He hesitated for a long moment, his eyes roving my entire face, before turning back toward Rachel. He yanked on her one last time and I fell forward on my knees trying to keep my hold on her.

Suddenly, the click from the safety being taken off sounded and there was silence. Nobody moved.

"Drop the gun," Batman instructed, as I slowly picked myself up off the floor.

"Oh, sure," the Joker sighed. "You just take off your little mask and show us all who you really are. Mhmm?"

He snickered as he pointed behind him and the shot the glass wall into pieces, holding Rachel over the open space only by her arm.

"Let her go," Batman stated, making me cringe internally.

"Very poor choice of words," the Joker cackled as he literally let go of Rachel's arm. Batman immediately threw himself after her, and a moment later, her scream of absolute terror sounded in the silence of the room.

Nobody dared move or say a word still, except for the Joker's men who were picking themselves up off the floor. My heart pounded in my chest and throat as the Joker turned to look at me, walking slowly, eyeing me from head to toe.

"And you—" he said as he stood in front of me, placing one gloved hand on the curve where my shoulder met my neck, "—you beautiful, _gorgeous_ , little thing—are coming with me."

Panic kicked in and I made a run for it—part of me knowing it was hopeless—, the Joker's hand tightening on me before losing his grip. His men immediately blocked my path and I knew no one at that party would help me.

I turned back toward the Joker, who was walking towards me again. He stopped right in front of me and placed his hand on my neck, his thumb gently adding more and more pressure on my esophagus. I refused to make a noise and merely held my breath.

The Joker grinned and gestured with his head to one of his men behind me. Suddenly, I was being dragged away with an arm around my chest and a gun pointed at my neck.

* * *

 _"What are you most afraid of?"_

 _"Not living," Ella replied without a moment of hesitation. Bruce continued to stare at her in slight confusion. "You know what I mean, right?"_

 _Since Bruce knew Ella well, he could deduce what she meant, but he wanted her to elaborate. She probably meant how she wanted to enjoy her life always._

 _"Kind of, but…" Bruce trailed off and Ella grinned. They were laying on their bed together, the only light in the room from Downtown Gotham shining through the glass window and the tv playing some sort of suspense movie._

 _"I just—you know how I am, Bruce. I just don't want to look back on my life and think 'There was so much more I could've done' or 'I never enjoyed the little moments, never lived my life the way I wanted to.' Or even living a lie, where I'm obliviously happy and it turns out things aren't as they seem," she said as she stared blankly at the screen. "That's why I never pay attention to the things they say about me or to me. At the end of the day, I've learned to look out only for myself, as selfish as that sounds. Nobody else is gonna do that for me."_

 _"You look out for me," Bruce reminded her, tilting Ella's face to look up at him. Ella bit back her grin._

 _"You're my boyfriend," she easily dismissed. Bruce grinned as he shook his head lightly and leaned down to peck her lips._

 _"So, as long as I'm your boyfriend you'll look out for me?"_

 _"I'll always look out for you, Bruce. I've been with you for three years now. It's a little difficult to stop caring about someone you shared so much with… as long as you don't fuck up, obviously."_

 _Bruce chuckled and hugged her closer into his side._

* * *

When Bruce managed to get off the Batsuit and arrive back at the penthouse, the only thing waiting for him was Jim Gordon and his bad news. He didn't know what to think, at first, as the lieutenant made his way toward him. After all, Rachel was safe and he had _expressly_ made sure Harvey Dent was unharmed.

"Mr. Wayne," Jim Gordon said, looking extremely nervous. Obviously, they knew each other somewhat—aside from Batman—thanks to Rachel and Daniela, who were both friendly with him from some legal ventures. "We need to talk."

Bruce hid his sudden bout of anxiety and nodded, leading Jim to his office in the penthouse. Once the door was shut, Bruce and Gordon both sat down without saying a word. Something in the atmosphere made them remain quiet, as though the news would be worse if the silence was interrupted.

Gordon took a deep breath.

"Daniela—"

Bruce's breath got caught in his throat. Immediately, his last image of Ella popped into his mind, her full burgundy-painted lips trembling as her large, large dark eyes stared at the moon. His heart stopped beating for a moment before resuming with a fervor, Ella's picture-perfect image in his mind replaced with one of her face covered in white makeup, black-covered eyes closed and mouth shaped in grotesque red.

"He took her," Gordon finally finished, leaning his elbows on the desk to cover his face with a sigh. She was his friend, after all. "The Joker took her."

Bruce froze for a moment before an immediate, indescribable rage bloomed within him.

"That _bastard_!" Bruce bellowed, standing from his chair and sweeping a glass on the desk to the floor. It shattered as Gordon merely leaned back into his chair. It was a long night. "What the hell does he want with her?"

"I don't know, Wayne," he sighed. "Ransom, maybe?"

"He doesn't fucking need money!" Bruce exclaimed, turning the monitor of his desktop on. The background on it was a picture of both him and Ella from a photoshoot they had done nearly three months before. It seemed like so long ago. "I want her back."

* * *

Bruce didn't sleep that night—not that he did most nights, of course—as he sat at his desk, drinking a glass of whiskey that he never really did finish. In his mind were merely memories and memories and more memories of Ella.

He remembered their first date. They were already so in-tune with each other, they were so comfortable. They merely had dinner at a nice Italian restaurant, watched an action movie that left Ella _so_ excited for the sequel, and he walked her to her apartment. When they officially started dating, there was so much controversy over it because she had started off as his assistant, although she was working in various branches of the company after being there for a year and a half.

When they first had sex, it was one of those eye-opening experiences, where he realized not everything had to be as he always thought it should. Ella was like that, though. She was so complicated, she made it seem so simple. She had him _laughing_ during sex, for God's sake. At one point, she burst into laughter over one of his comments but he made it turn into a moan pretty quick, something that made him feel proud.

When he moved into the penthouse, she followed him shortly after. She had insisted she was dating a billionaire and wanted an amazing walk-in closet. That was the first materialistic thing she had asked from him so he indulged her. Except he didn't know _they_ would be the ones decorating the room.

When they painted the room white with beige accents, they had made a mess. Well, they had really fucked after covering one another in paint. Ella was one of the only people who could bring out that side of him, the playful, carefree side. When they had installed the mirrors, they had also ended up having sex, Bruce watching her expressions in the mirror.

God, she changed him so much, made him explore and experience new things. And now she was taken hostage thanks to him. And she wasn't his anymore.

 _She'll walk away from those that hurt her, even if it kills her._

His phone rang at 3 minutes past 7 in the morning, Bruce still nursing the single glass of whiskey he was unable to drink. It was Jim Gordon, telling him to turn the television on to the 7 o'clock news _now_.

On the screen was another one of the Joker's videos, and the banner at the bottom read ' _Bruce Wayne's girlfriend abducted by the Joker?_ '. The camera was held by the Joker once more, as always gleeful and cackling.

Behind him, Ella was sat on a chair with a long purple dress with a slit on each side and her hands presumably tied behind her back, as well as each foot to either leg of the chair. Her long, black hair was wavy and tinted with some kind of green dye. Her eyes were made up into a black smoky eye, her lips were smeared in blood red, and the hollows beneath her cheekbones were shaded in white paint. She looked like him.

" _Motherfucker_ ," Bruce whispered under his breath. The Joker continued cackling as they replayed the video from the top.

"Hello, Bruce. Bruciiiieeee… miss her yet?" he snickered. "Let me tell you, she's a real lady, ehh. So elegant, so… sophisticated."

He started laughing again as he pointed the camera at her. She looked terrified, trying to hide it but unable to, as she visibly gulped. Then, she said, "How much am I worth, Bruce?"

Bruce's hands balled into fists. He couldn't believe the Joker was doing this petty scheme.

The Joker directed the camera at Daniela still, walking in circles around her.

"Mhmm, she's pretty—those lips, those eyes!—and she works out. Just look at those legs! And let's not go into her personality! She's such a sweetheart," the Joker crooned, before appearing in the frame. "How many millions is she worth to you, Wayne? Don't forget… Batman still hasn't revealed who he is."

His smirk dropped until he stood looking seriously at the camera.

"But if you don't want her… I do."

His maniacal laughter could be heard as the camera shot the floor and Ella's legs in his process of turning it off.

* * *

"Criminals aren't complicated, Alfred. You just have to understand what they're after."

"With respect, Master Wayne," Alfred sighed, "perhaps this is a criminal _you_ don't fully understand either. If that were the case, tell me. Why did he take Miss Ella?"

Bruce faltered in his steps and resisted the urge to snap at Alfred. It was a sensitive subject.

"He wants money," he tersely replied.

"No," Alfred protested. "He doesn't _need_ the money… A long time ago—"

 _He doesn't fucking need money!_

"She broke up with me," Bruce cut him off, unable to keep it to himself any longer. There was a moment of stunned silence. Their separation didn't change the fact that he would do everything in his power to have her back, but he wanted someone to tell him what to do.

"I told you so," Alfred said quietly. Bruce cracked a smile.

 _She'll walk away from those that hurt her, even if it kills her._

"I don't know what to do," Bruce confessed with a heavy sigh.

"What do you _want_ to do?"

"Be with her."

"Then, you know what to do," Alfred said. "It's that simple. You and she are very similar in that, you don't do anything you don't _want_ to do. So get her back. Be with her."

Bruce nodded with renewed determination.

"A long time ago?" he prompted the Englishman, who proceeded to tell him the story about the thief.

"Because some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money," Alfred finished, trying to get his point across to Bruce. "They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn."

 _Some men just want to watch the world burn._

* * *

" _I can't remember how we got here or how we survived so long."_


	14. Chapter 13

**Hello, lovelies. It's Friday once again, and I finished this in one day. Hopefully, you can't tell hahaha**

 **Anyway, this chapter does mention religion, and I am making no comments on that. I know it can be a subject of debate, so I will try to steer away from the topic. This is probably the only chapter that deals with it explicitly. It just seemed like an interesting plot point, if you understand.**

 **Hope you guys like it, give me your opinions!**

 **Quotes are from End Of All Days by 30 Seconds to Mars.**

* * *

" _A maniac's new love song, destruction is his game."_

 **Chapter 13: Degeneration**

My head was hurting.

There was a pounding in my temples as I lifted my head slowly. My whole body felt sore and uncomfortable, and I realized why when I tried to lift my hands to massage my temples. They were tied behind my back, my ankles also tied together, and my head had been resting on my chest. The metal chair I was sat on was far from comfortable to begin with.

My eyes burned as soon as I tried to open them. There seemed to be a bright light directly above me that caused me to squint my eyes. I could see nothing at first, just a dark shape in front of me that slowly took the silhouette of a man.

The Joker was sitting in front of me in another chair. He was leaning forward with his forearms on his knees, a shining blade held in both hands, his head bent as he looked down at it. The sudden brightness was still hurting my eyes, but once they adjusted I looked around.

The space around us looked large and empty, abandoned like one of the warehouses on the outer edges of the city. The only light came from a lightbulb above us, keeping us in a circle of clarity while everything beyond looked dark as night and just as menacing.

To be honest, despite the fact that the clown was intimidating, I hadn't been afraid of him because of his gleeful nature and sarcastic quips. But when he slowly lifted his head and stared at me with the most serious expression I had seen on his face, I had never been more terrified in my life. His expression didn't change as he studied my face.

"'From this slumber, she shall wake when true love's kiss the spell shall break*,'" the Joker said before laughing, but not like his usual shrieks of glee. His voice was low and taunting in its own right. He was truly scaring me.

"'A wise girl kisses but does not love*2,'" I replied hoarsely, making him cackle this time. I shifted in my seat, feeling a little less afraid. Once his laughter died down, the Joker continued to stare at me with an evident curiosity in his face. "Why am I here?"

"You can get me easy money," he easily replied, shrugging. I wasn't even sure if he realized it or not, but his hands never stopped caressing the blade he held lovingly, almost as though it were an unconscious action, a habit. My eyes followed the movement of his long fingers.

"You don't need the money," I stated, watching the blade that was obviously well-taken care of. "I think, with the bank robbery, you proved you don't need to resort to this petty kidnapping shit. You're smarter than a common criminal."

The Joker studied her as she spoke before he burst into laughter.

"I didn't know Bruce Wayne's girlfriend was a fan of mine," he cackled. I shrugged lightly.

"I don't admire what you did or why you did it," I corrected him, studying him. "What I applaud is the _way_ you did it. It was… innovative, to say the least."

* * *

 _Daniela was nineteen years old when she decided she needed to get away from everything and everybody back home. She had taken a gap year before moving on to college to get her shit together, to figure out what she wanted to study and not make a mistake. And yet, she still wasn't completely sure what she wanted to do._

 _The only thing she was completely sure of was that she needed to get the hell away from her home. Things had been complicated in the family since her last meltdown, which began with her ending her friends-with-benefits relationship with Charlie, drowning herself and her sorrows in alcohol, and climaxed in being threatened by her family to go to rehab for her behavior. She had not stopped drinking, had not gone to AA or rehab, and had stopped talking to her family for butting in her business._

 _And she was sick of it, sick of all of them._

 _She started to investigate what she wanted to study, something that she was good at, would benefit her financially, and would not make her miserable. Ella finally decided it would either have to be something in accounting, civil engineering, or lawyering. Once that was decided, she began to study universities that could cover all three careers, as she was not yet sure which one to take, also taking into account scholarships and job opportunities nearby._

 _That's when she found Gotham Uni._

 _It was a pretty prestigious school, given that it was the home city of one of the biggest companies in the world, Wayne Enterprises. All three careers could be studied there, and all three careers could get her a job in Wayne Enterprises, in Construction or as a fiduciary to the company or on the legal team of any branch. She had pretty big dreams in that department, but she knew she had to take small steps to get there._

 _Ella started looking into sponsor programs for GU, discovering that the actual Wayne Enterprises sponsored a scholarship program for people looking to work for the corporation. It was almost destiny._

 _So she applied, and was easily accepted with her impressive grades and bilingual abilities. She didn't even ask for anybody's help, except for one aunt who always wanted to see her better herself. Ella just announced she was leaving to Gotham one day during dinner._

 _She thought that with new goals set in mind and a new drive to complete them, that her life would just become_ better _. She, for a moment thought that she would become a different person, and it would come naturally, easily, with her new life._

 _Boy, was she wrong._

* * *

"Are you with Brucie because of the money?" the Joker asked suddenly, the curiosity in his voice exaggerated. Daniela turned around to look at him and frowned.

"Does it _look_ like I'm with him for the money?" she wondered, looking up at him from her position sitting down on the floor against one of the warehouse's walls. She was still wearing the dress from the previous night, though it was significantly dirtier and one of her Louboutin heels was lost. The Joker snorted.

"No. But it looks like he only keeps you around to pass the time… maybe because you're good eye-candy," he mused aloud. "Maybe 'cause he can do whatever he wants with you and you're okay with that. Maybe you're just a good fuck."

"What the hell?" Ella reproached. "What makes you think all that?"

The Joker cackled as he approached her, some of his minions walking around the vast warehouse around them, going about the business that he put them up to. Her legs were crossed at the ankles and her bare feet were dirty.

"Did I hit you where it hurts?" he asked, the same childlike concern from before in his voice. "I've barely seen you with him, and I already deduced that."

He stood in front of her now. She had removed her makeup previously—she was still very beautiful, although she looked much younger and _tired_ —and her brows were furrowed defiantly. Then, she slowly lowered her gaze. With her head bowed, she sighed.

"I broke up with him last night," she confessed. That was certainly not something he expected. Although he didn't know why he impulsively took her the previous night, something in his gut told him she was important and he had been formulating a plan for her already.

"So it _was_ for the money," the Joker taunted, chuckling. Ella's defeated expression morphed into a snarl as she glared at him.

"Fuck you!"

"Now, now, honey. Let's not make promises we can't keep," he sneered in response. Ella maintained her pissed off expression for a moment, before it turned into a smirk and she laughed.

She surprised the Joker.

"I don't make promises I can't keep," she murmured huskily, her dark eyes boring into his own. Her smirk was still in place.

The Joker squatted down beside her, studying her for a moment. She was a creature like no other, he knew it from the moment she tried to stop him from taking her friend. He hadn't paid any mind to her before because he never did anything on a whim. He knew exactly what and whom he was after, despite it looked like he was just always winging it.

Daniela's eyes followed his movements, his hands that were never still, and looked straight into his face. Her hair was a mess now and it was starting to look dirty. Maybe he would get her some water somehow so she could clean herself up. She clearly looked like she was used to being clean.

The door of the warehouse being opened caught her attention, and she looked to the other side, allowing him to spot the tattoo of a small cross on the back of her shoulder.

"Religious, are we?" he said, touching the tattoo. Daniela had to repress a shudder.

"No," she curtly answered. "I don't believe in religion. It's just society's way of keeping everyone in line."

The Joker paused, watching Ella turn back to look at him, a coldness in her eyes that hadn't been there before. And that's when he realized that Daniela truly wasn't very much afraid of him. Maybe he had let her get too comfortable.

"'But without faith, it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him*3,'" the Joker muttered, not looking at Daniela but at her tattoo instead, still tracing the simple cross.

Ella froze as she recognized the quote from Hebrews 11:6. He wouldn't meet her inquiring gaze but seemed transfixed by her tattoo, making her refrain from moving away from his touch.

"'Religion is not merely a tool to oppress the masses, it a self-perpetuating scam that leads the masses to oppress themselves*4,'" she retorted, watching his face carefully. There was nothing that gave him away, but his eyes slowly lifted to hers.

"'For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil*5,'" the clown murmured. She wasn't too sure where that one was from, but she still recognized it for what it was.

"'Prayer, in my opinion, is an act of doubt, not an act of faith. For if you truly trusted your God's plan, surely you wouldn't pray for anything*6,'" she replied, watching as the Joker removed his hand from her skin and took a seat beside her, with his legs splayed open. He sighed quietly.

"'Therefore, I tell you whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours*7.'"

Ella recognized the Mark 11:24 as she stared at him. It was then that the overwhelming feeling that this being beside her, this creature beside her, had once been a man who had been defeated and became something no one could conquer or forget.

"'But who prays for Satan?'" Daniela recited, making the Joker whip his head to look at her. She placed her hand beside his timidly, barely brushing pinkies on the ground. "'Who, in eighteen centuries, has had the common humanity to pray for the one sinner who needed it most?*8'"

The Joker continued to stare at her.

 _But who prays for Satan?_

* * *

" _The hunger of a lion is written on your face."_

* * *

* Sleeping Beauty

*2 Marilyn Monroe

*3 Hebrews 11:6

*4 Michael Sherlock

*5 2 Corinthians 5:10

*6 Michael Sherlock

*7 Mark 11:24

*8 Mark Twain


	15. Chapter 14

**HEY YALL. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND FAVORITES AND ALERTS AND ESPECIALLY THE REVIEWS THAT DEFINITELY MOTIVATE ME TO KEEP GOING.**

 **You can skip ahead now if you want, I just wanted to let you know the reason I'm back.**

 **Okay, so one thing you guys oughtta know about me is I'm a huuuuuge Marvel CU stan and I have this like complete obsession with Darcy Lewis and Bucky Barnes individually, and together, they're like my OTP of all OTPs. Kat Dennings and Seb Stan are just soooo ugghhh**

 **Anyway, so a couple of days ago, I was reading this super angsty story cause I've been in like sad mode and love some good angst with my OTP. I was over on AO3 reading this one fic called Sacrilege by MsDamia and tiziano. I read the first chapter, did all my daily stuff and lay down to really enjoy it before bed, my favorite time to read.**

 **I fell asleep at 2 am reading it.**

 **I am soooo in love with this fic, it's not even funny, and it got me thinking about the last review (thanks so much for the absolute motivation I got from it, starkspangledbanner- love the name lol) and I was just hit with inspiration.**

 **So this is what came out. let me know what you think.**

 **Quotes are still from End of All Days by 30 Seconds to Mars.**

* * *

" _A maniac Messiah…"_

 **Chapter 14: Decline**

 _He's going to kill me whether Bruce pays the ransom or not._

The thought struck Daniela suddenly and left her reeling, cold spreading through her chest. Sure, she wasn't afraid of dying and the Joker had been benevolent enough towards her, knowing what he was capable of.

He had even brought her some water so she could clean herself up. Her hair was newly washed and she was now walking around with some Aeropostale sweats, sneakers, and camisole, as well as brand new underwear. The Joker had merely presented her the clothes and water, then left without saying a word.

After their very-enlightening conversation, he had refused to meet her gaze as he stood. It was curious and slightly alarming seeing a side of the Joker that she had previously thought didn't even exist.

That was until, without warning, he looked down his nose at her with the utmost condescension on his face and stared straight into her eyes with the glittering coolness of a predator taunting his prey. Her face was turned up to look at him, a tiny cut on her cheekbone glowing red.

"You're foolish to think you and Bruce could love each other. You're both destructive to one another," the Joker sneered, making Ella's heart drop to her stomach. How could he read them so easily without actually seeing them or knowing them?

It was scary, to say the least, how clever and perceptive the psychopath was.

But Daniela was nothing if not reckless.

"That's where you're wrong, Pennywise," Ella shot back. "Bruce and I definitely love each other, and if we're destructive to one another, I think that's what keeps things interesting."

Obviously, she was lying through her teeth, but he didn't need to know that.

The Joker laughed out loud, shaking his head as though at her silly antics, before walking away, still chuckling.

* * *

 _I was twenty one years old when I finally got all of my shit together._

 _I was working at a Mexican restaurant near Downtown Gotham and taking various classes at Gotham Uni, not having picked a specific major yet, though taking a lot of interesting classes. I honestly had no idea how I managed to work, keep up with my homework, work out, eat, sleep, and still go out partying every weekend._

 _Granted, weekdays I literally never went out. I was always in my dorm (doing homework or reading or watching tv), at Arroyo's (working a shift), in the laundry room (making sure the dirty clothes didn't pile up), or at the gym (because obviously deep-rooted obsessions didn't go away that easily)._

 _But I didn't have fun. That was especially reserved for the weekends._

 _The weekends were dedicated to frat parties and nightclubs and hot guys and pretty girls, endless beer and tequila body shots and drunk makeout sessions and meaningless sex. Saturdays were dedicated to dressing sexy, makeup sultry, and drinking lots of beer, fucking guys I would later pass in the hall and greet with a smile and ignore when they tried to get my number. Sundays were for curing hangovers and wearing pretty dresses that tried to hide my mischief but only belied my devious nature as I was invited to a date at a nice restaurant. Only to end up at a nightclub with friends, in a short dress and tall heels, kissing a girl I'd just met at the bar while ordering a round of tequila for body shots._

 _Oh, yeah, I got around some. Not with just anybody, though._

 _But that was the reason I was always sought after. My roommate, Ana, always told me it was because I wasn't just interested in anybody, most didn't even get to kiss me, and I quickly lost interest after realizing I had them right where I wanted them. I was in no way discreet about my activities or my sexuality. Quite the contrary, in fact, I gloried in my bisexuality and the nature of my relationships._

 _But as more time passed by, I realized nothing was changing. My heart still ached for Charlie when I saw someone who bore similarities to him and my throat still closed up when I heard songs that reminded me of him. I still thought about him_ every fucking day.

 _I had somehow managed to continue drowning myself in alcohol while maintaining a steady grip on reality and my responsibilities in check. And that is one of the worst things I could have adapted myself to. I didn't see that I was_ doing it all wrong _until there was almost no way to break the habits._

* * *

The Joker was back, and Ella was watching him wearily from the corner of the warehouse. He looked decidedly more agitated, quieter and barking orders when he did talk as he paced. She was resolved not to get in his way, lest she come out losing.

Except Ella should've known she was the problem, as always.

The Joker suddenly spun on his heel and stalked towards her, steel in his dark eyes. Daniela resisted the urge to shrink back against the dirty warehouse wall and eyed him quietly.

"Why'd you break up with him?" he demanded, stepping right into her (now-nonexistant) personal space. Ella frowned.

"Why does it matter?" she asked, genuinely confused.

 _He's going to kill me either way._

The thought came unbidden into her mind, just as he replied, no longer agitated or concerned, just simply.

"It doesn't."

 _What does it matter if I tell him?_ Ella thought to herself. The Joker's grin widened as they both recognized her resolve waning. _Nobody knows, anyway._

The thought froze her.

 _Nobody knows me anymore. I'm going to die, and nobody knew me._

Taking a deep breath, Ella let herself slide down the wall, ignoring the filth borne from years and years of abandonment. The Joker looked down at her, his grin victorious, as he crouched down in front of her.

"He doesn't love me," Ella simply replied. Why was she telling him this? He was going to _kill her_. "I'm pretty sure he's in love with his best friend, and I get that, I really do. But why keep me around to warm his bed when she's the one he really wants?"

 _I love you. I love you, R- babe. I love you so much._

The Joker chuckled lowly, almost under his breath, his head ducked as his eyes looked up at her face.

"You've said it yourself… to warm his bed."

Ella cringed involuntarily. The Joker cackled at her reaction, throwing his head back before sitting cross-legged in front of her outstretched legs.

"Who is his best friend?" he found himself asking, the same taunting, child-like concern in his voice. Ella slowly looked up from her twisting hands, her sad dark eyes boring into his own gleeful ones.

"Rachel Dawes," she muttered, watching him carefully. The Joker couldn't stop the confusion that spread through him for a moment, couldn't hide the surprise in his expression, as he wondered about that.

The Joker did his research. He knew Bruce Wayne and Rachel Dawes were best friends and there had previously been rumors that they were more than that. But when Daniela Navarro came into the picture—as his PA, to top it all off—the media had found new content for their rumor mill. So it went without saying that Ella Navarro and Bruce Wayne's relationship was constantly under scrutiny after the press hit the nail on the head with their affair.

That being said, any rumors of Bruce Wayne and Rachel Dawes being more than friends were quickly shot down, after their relationship of almost four years and the attorney's newer relationship with one Harvey Dent.

Ella recoiled a little into herself at his expression.

"He's in love with… the DA's girlfriend?" he heard himself ask in wonderment before he burst out laughing, startling Ella and making her curl more into herself. "That is—"

He couldn't even talk through his mirthful cackles.

"That is—the most—cliché thing—I've ever been—fortunate enough to witness!" he shrieked in between his bouts of hysterical laughter, holding his stomach. Daniela began to regard him coolly.

"I'm glad my misery entertains you," she muttered, voice cold as ice. He stopped chuckling abruptly and regarded her. She was annoyed now, he could tell from the set of her eyebrows. There was no line in between them, but the way they had crawled a centimeter closer together let him know so.

He decided to ignore her mood swing.

"Why are you with him then?" he asked mockingly. Ella stared at him with her held high.

"Because _I_ love him."

The Joker's grin slowly dissipated, making her weary again. Daniela knew it wasn't smart to piss off the clown, especially when he was now in a good mood and had been so magnanimous to her so far, all things considered.

But he said nothing, merely intimidating her with his stare. Her hands continued to play together in her lap, long thin fingers twining with each other. Abruptly, he stood up.

"Well, regardless…" he finally said, looking down at her. "We still need to get the message across to your boyfriend."

A chill ran down her spine at the sneer on his face, at the way his eyes were slowly filling with glee again, glittering with devilish delight. Her breath caught in her throat for a moment, making her lick her lips anxiously and bite on the edge of the gold barbell in her tongue.

"How?" she found herself questioning in a small voice, hands finally stilling their movements.

"That's what you're about to find out," he sneered, offering her a hand to stand up. Ella ignored his hand and stood up quickly on her own, indignation flaring in her chest at the way she was being used against Bruce, against a man who _didn't want her_ and realizing _she deserved more than that_. She deserved someone going insane with worry and trying to find her and willing to pay whatever he had to to see her free because _he was in love with her_ and the way she laughed and the way she cried and _everything about her._

"No," Ella stated, staring defiantly at the Joker. His face conveyed nothing.

"I'm not asking you," he replied, reaching to take her arm.

"I don't ca—"

Daniela's voice was cut off as the Joker struck with a speed that she didn't think he was capable of. She hadn't even blinked when she was suddenly pressed against the filthy warehouse wall, the Joker's hand tight around her throat as he squeezed with a sudden anger she had to believe was his pent-up emotions. She was on her _tiptoes_.

"You're not a fucking guest here, Daniela," he growled, his painted face and lips centimeters from her own, his breath hitting her lips. With a vague fascination, she realized his cheekbones were as sharp as her own, even though she _couldn't fucking breathe_. "You will do as I say, when I say, _how I say_. You're my fucking hostage, worth nothing more to me than a few million dollars, and completely disposable. Don't you forget it, darling."

Her hands stopped scratching at his own when he released her without warning. Ella started coughing on the oxygen her lungs demanded, her throat burning from the air allowed into her throat once more suddenly.

The Joker stepped away from her as she bent over, glaring up at him with her hands on her throat. She was sure to bruise. She bruised easily.

She started muttering under her breath unconsciously, not even aware of what she was saying— _"fucking monster, asshole psychopath"_ —when the Joker's hand struck her right cheekbone. He had backhanded her across the face at her comment. Pain bloomed on the right side of her face, eye and cheekbone included as she gasped in complete and utter surprise.

Before she could even react, the Joker was straightening her with his large hand against her collarbone again, his thumb pressing the sensitive skin in between her clavicles.

"Remember you're only here because of Bruce Wayne and for no other reason," he whispered in her ear.

He pushed her away and walked off.

* * *

 _Daniela was dressed in a burgundy pantsuit, a gold crop top beneath her blazer, nude pointed heels on her feet, black sunglasses on her face, curly hair straightened and carefully slicked back in a low ponytail. She stood in the airport beside Charlie, Cinthia having escaped to the bathroom a few mere moments before._

 _There was an awkward silence for a moment, before Charlie turned to her._

" _I'm sorry… about everything," he said, chocolate brown eyes shining at her. "I shouldn't have come at you the way I did, but honestly? I'm worried about you."_

 _Well, that was a first. Her family was supposedly all proud of who she'd become and where she'd gotten herself._

" _You needn't be," Ella replied, taking off her glasses to look at him. "I'm fine."_

 _Charlie scoffed as he took a step to stand in front of her instead of beside her._

" _You're not happy," he stated, but she could tell from his voice that he wasn't willing to argue with her on that point. "Even if you don't see it that way—besides the mistakes I made trying to do so—I've only ever wanted you to be happy."_

 _Carlos stopped himself as he stared at the ground and smiled wistfully. His full lips were twisting up in his usual smirk, higher on the left side where the beauty mark on his cheek sat. His eyes rose up to meet hers._

" _You always looked so beautiful when you were laughing at something or smirking at someone—" God, she'd always been such a_ flirt _. "—even if it wasn't me. And I knew I couldn't make you happy, it's why I always pushed you away."_

 _Ella took a deep breath and resigned herself to talk about their past._

" _I would've been happier with a simple 'No, I don't love you.'"_

"' _No, I_ can't _love you'," Charlie was quick to correct. Her thoughts flashed back to two years prior, sitting on the bed with Bruce and a glass of whiskey in her hand._

" _No," she replied. "'I_ shouldn't _love you.' Anything is possible, Carlos."_

 _There was a moment of silence as they searched one another's eyes, almost as though hoping to find their different point of views in them. Or maybe just trying to commit them to memory, something in this conversation felt so_ final _._

" _Don't let him consume you like I did," Charlie urged suddenly, voice almost desperate as he took another step forward and cupped her cheek in his hand. His gaze bore into her own dark eyes. "If you're not happy, please walk away. It_ hurts _to see how he affects you. If you're happy, I get it, I'm happy for you. But if you're not…_ I know you can do it _."_

 _Ella only stared up at him in wonder, her crimson red lips slightly parted. His lips twisted into a wry smile before he leaned down and she unconsciously held her breath. His kiss landed on her cheek, a mere centimeter from the corner of her mouth, but as he went to pull back, he lingered. He turned his head and his breath hit her full lips._

 _Daniela, with all the strength she could muster within herself, turned her face away from his lips and sighed. Then, she stepped once more into his space, her arms going around his broad back, embracing him and all their memories together. Charlie gave a low chuckle, the effects of it tingling to her toes, as he wrapped her smaller frame in his arms._

 _Stepping back, she looked up at his face once more, placing both hands on his chiseled jaw, and placed a kiss on his beauty mark. Charlie smiled wistfully. It brought back memories._

" _I love you," he muttered, taking a step back._

" _Love you, too," she replied, watching as he took his carry-on and looked her over. Then, he turned and went off to find his soon-to-be ex-wife._

* * *

The only thing on her mind was the fact that he had called her by her name for the first time.

"Joker," her quiet voice carried over to him in the silence of the warehouse. The Joker turned to her without acknowledging me vocally. "If we're going to do this… can I get some makeup to cover up this?"

She had only seen the bruises and the cut on her face when the camera was brought to the Joker. There was a nasty bruise on her face around the cut his rings had made when he backhanded her right cheek, spreading from beneath her high cheekbone until her bottom eyelid. It was slightly swollen, but there was really nothing she could do about that. The bruises around her throat were a little less conspicuous because her my long hair.

The Joker didn't even acknowledge her request. She merely sat in her corner of the warehouse in silence until she was brought a long, chiffon, cold-shoulder dress in the same shade of purple as his suit and open-toe nude patent leather pumps. The dress had a high slit on both sides, which reached her hip and would allow some view of the tattoo in the junction of her hip and leg. With the dress came a makeup bag filled with cosmetics, a mirror, and temporary green hair dye.

Ella knew what he was doing. After all, the only eyeshadows in the bag were a palette of three nude tones and black-as-night. The only lipstick was blood red, and there was some kind of white concealer. She wanted her to look like him.

That was just cruel, and Ella was secretly a little thrilled at the thought of making Bruce suffer, even just a little bit. Nobody ever said she wasn't a vengeful person, after all.

She applied the green dye into her hair without any complaint, pulling her wild, damp hair into buns at each side of her face to do her makeup.

Daniela finished the black smokey eye, complete with fake lashes and everything, to continue on her foundation, which she blended all the way to her collarbones. Instead of countouring and concealing as she always did, she used the white concealer to shade the hollow beneath her cheekbones as if it were bronzer. She did highlight her cheekbones, though, and finished off with the blood red lipstick.

Letting her curly hair loose, which was now in strategic waves from their damp time in the buns, she slipped on the dress and high heels.

Ella knew she must've been quite the sight.

That was when the Joker approached her with the camera, his mesmerizing eyes fixed completely on her, devouring her from head to toe, his gaze lingering on the words above her leg on her hip, visible thanks to the high slit.

 _Even through the darkest days,_

 _this fire burns always._

He sat her on a chair with her hands bound behind her back and each ankle to the leg of the chair. Before tying her hands, he had allowed her to arrange the dress as she liked, though, so it covered everything it should. The double slit made that easier.

" _The only time you're going to open your mouth is to ask Bruce how much you're worth to him."_

 _I let her get too comfortable._

The Joker watched as Daniela flinched at most of his sudden movements, and she looked genuinely terrified during the filming of the video. But he had gotten too lax with the way he was treating her, and she _stopped being afraid of him_.

"Why'd you do it?" her deep voice asked suddenly as he was untying her hands, no tremor of any kind in her voice. It pissed him off.

The Joker leaned forward and whispered into her ear.

"We stopped looking for monsters under our bed when we realized they were inside us."

* * *

" _The temples are now burning, our faith caught up in flames."_


	16. Chapter 15

**Hey, guys! I wrote this all today because I wanted to post something today because guess what! Two years ago today, I published this story!**

 **Two years ago and fifteen chapters in, thats kinda sad.**

 **Anyways, we're finally about to get back to Bruce so here we go! Also, something I forgot to mention about Sacrilege last chapter that I mentioned the story... I cried so much, I bawled like a baby, I sobbed for like thirty minutes straight, you have no idea the love I have for that story.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter. The quotes are in Spanish, so I translated them as well as I could, and because I love that song and what it says.**

 **Quotes are from I Know by Spanish rapper Rels B.**

 **READ, ENJOY, AND REVIEW, THANKS!**

* * *

" _Sé que no lo he hecho del todo bien."_

 _("I know I haven't done it all right.")_

 **Chapter 15: Crumble**

Ella was sitting on the floor in her little corner of the warehouse, back in the Aeropostale clothes and free of any makeup. Her eyes were watching the tiny holes and cracks of the walls as the darkness visible through them gradually abated to give way to light.

It was it. Saturday, the 23rd.

Her thoughts flashed back to Bruce's face when she ended their relationship, the minute things that gave him away simply because she knew him for five years. His face had remained mostly blank, as it always did. That hurt. But she'd seen the slight widening of his eyes in surprise, the line between his brows in disagreement, the darkness of confused exasperation in his irises.

Daniela knew she had made too many mistakes— _so many_ mistakes—to deserve a Disney happy ending. But she figured she had suffered enough to pay back the price of her mistakes. She thought enduring Bruce's constant apathy the last year would bring her a well-deserved reward in the form of their relationship growing stronger in the end, thought it would all be _worth it._

That was clearly not what had happened.

The Mexican was startled from her musings by the Joker's form standing in front of her. She raised her gaze from her twisting fingers to meet his own inquiring one. She could easily read his skeptical expression by the closeness of his eyebrows and the question in his eyes

"What time is it?" she asked the Clown Prince. The Joker frowned a little, staring down at her in curiosity, before he took a seat beside her outstretched legs.

"Almost 7 am."

Ella was surprised he actually answered her.

"Today would've been my four-year anniversary with Bruce," Daniela sighed.

* * *

" _I'm so proud of you," Bruce's rough baritone whispered in her ear from behind. The both of them were exiting a meeting with Legal, having come across a certain copyright lawsuit against Wayne Entertainment that Ella had just managed to disprove._

 _Daniela merely grinned smugly as Bruce's left hand wrapped around her right._

 _He guided her to his office without saying anything more, letting go of her hand once inside to log into his computer. He clicked and typed a few things into the desktop as Ella walked around the desk slowly, watching the Gotham skyline in the midday sun, before gingerly taking a seat on the desk beside the computer._

 _Suddenly, the desktop screen went black and Bruce turned to her._

 _Ella stared pointedly at him, waiting for him to explain what he'd just done, which he didn't. The Wayne billionaire merely stood from his chair and stood in front of her, his chocolate eyes roving her face before he leaned forward and kissed her. Daniela was wearing a pencil skirt that stopped a couple of inches above her knees, so Bruce couldn't stand between her legs._

 _Or he couldn't until he took the twill of the navy skirt in both hands and pulled it up around her thighs, stepping between her tan legs to get closer to her. Ella made a sound deep in her throat, causing Bruce to grin as he placed his left hand on her jawline and pulled away. Ella made another sound, this time of disappointment before his mouth latched onto the left side of her neck, his right hand pulling Ella to the edge of the desk._

 _Ella's breath caught in her throat for a moment before she moaned._

" _Bruuuuuuce," she whined in protest, her hands clinging to the white fabric of his button-down shirt. "We—"_

" _The cameras are off," he cut her off, finally revealing what he'd done on the desktop when they entered. Daniela couldn't help the chuckle that left her lips._

"Bruce _," she sounded impressed, "Who would've thought I would turn you into such a kinky motherfucker?"_

 _He bit into her neck a little harder in response, making her gasp and push against his abdomen._

" _Babe, we can't have a quickie!" Ella continued to protest. "You don't_ know _the definition of a quickie."_

 _Bruce pulled back to throw his head back and laugh in earnest. Ella didn't laugh, content merely to stare at him, unable to contain her satisfied smile at making him laugh like that. His eyes were closed and he was leaning backwards slightly, one hand still on her left leg and the other on her right knee. His chuckles made her heart soar, the base of her throat burning slightly as her eyes filled with tears, shining with adoration because she could not believe how much_ she fucking loved him _._

" _I'm serioooouuus," Daniela continued to whine once his laughter began to die down. "You say a quickie, and we end up fucking for an hour."_

 _Bruce grinned smugly, leaning down to kiss her gently._

" _It's our anniversary," he murmured softly against her lips. Ella nodded, her dark eyes searching his._

" _Sex is not a gift," she replied. Bruce leaned back again to laugh. Daniela's heart was soaring once again, amazed at how much of a good mood he was in but recognizing she could usually make him laugh like that anyways._

" _It is for me," he responded. Ella rolled her eyes and shook her head slowly. Bruce didn't move back, but he didn't try anything inappropriate for the office anymore._

" _You only say that because you're a billionaire, and despite what I gift you, you could buy yourself anything your little, dark, superhero heart desired."_

 _Bruce stepped back without replying, taking a seat at his chair. Daniela didn't know what to make of his sudden mood swing, watching him carefully for a moment before she stood up and fixed her skirt._

" _Bruce?"_

 _The surviving Wayne, who was staring at the keyboard of his desktop thoughtfully with his arms against the arms of the chair, moved his left hand to his lip and turned to look up at her._

" _We've been together for two years now," he said. Daniela still didn't know what to say, didn't know what he was trying to get at. It sounded like he was amazed that they had lasted so long._

" _Yeah," she said slowly, approaching him as you would a wounded animal, before gingerly taking a seat in his lap. "Bruce, what is it?"_

 _Bruce hesitated._

" _You once told me that if you could put up with someone for two years, you would marry them."_

 _Daniela's breath got caught in her throat. What was he trying to get at? Did he really want to talk about marriage on their anniversary? It didn't really sound like a proposal, so the other option wasn't sounding too good._

" _Why—" Her voice was too hoarse. She cut herself off to cough. "Why are you bringing it up now?"_

" _Is that what you want?" he asked, watching Ella's reaction closely. She wasn't looking at him, sitting sideways on her lap, staring at the skyline while trying to keep her face blank. He could tell she was having a hard time schooling her features because even though she didn't move any muscles, she gulped._

" _Marriage?" Her voice was still too hoarse. She coughed. "Well, I mean, it is something I wanted someday. I just don't think it's something for us right now. Why?"_

 _Bruce studied her in silence for a few more tense moments._

" _What if I said marriage just wasn't in the cards for me?"_

 _They could both hear her heart breaking in the silence of the room._

* * *

 _Ella was sitting on the couch in the living room with her laptop in her lap, a glass of red wine in her hand, and Netflix playing in the background on the smart TV. She was working on a document for the office that she needed to hand in in two days' time as she waited for Bruce to get back from the office._

 _Her smartphone rang where it was balanced on the arm of the sofa. Leaning over to grab it, she placed the laptop next to her and frowned down at the picture of her and Charlie at her 23_ _rd_ _birthday party._

" _Hello?" she answered. There was a moment of background noise, a voice over an intercom before Charlie's voice was heard._

" _Dani? Hey, we got a problem."_

" _What is it? Where are you?" she asked, leaning forwards to place her wine glass on the coffee table._

" _Still at the airport," he replied. "Our flight was cancelled."_

* * *

The Joker was strangely silent where he sat beside me. He hadn't said a word since I started spilling my guts to him. There was a strange tension in the air between us, but I couldn't acknowledge it because I was too busy feeling _relieved as all fuck_.

I didn't really know how much it was all weighing down on me. My relationship with Bruce wasn't the easiest, and dealing with Batman issues, as well as the stress of helping Lucius with Wayne Enterprises, and not to mention my unrequited love for Bruce while he pined for Rachel… it was all wearing down on me.

I had told the Joker everything.

Not everything, everything. I couldn't give Bruce up like that, even if he _was_ the reason I was about to die. I had merely spilled my guts about my life and about my relationship with Bruce and my friendship with Rachel.

The Joker now knew stuff about me that nobody else did and no one else ever would.

"What would you do," the Joker questioned after another beat of silence, making me look at him, "if you were me?"

I tried to gauge what he meant with the question, what he was specifically referring to, but I couldn't. I went with my gut.

"Well, having people on the inside is something super important, I would think."

" _Trust_ some—"

"It doesn't always have to be trust," I cut him off. "Manipulation, blackmail, extor—"

"We got it!" The door banged against the wall as one of the Joker's lackeys entered screaming the phrase out. The sun was visible low in the sky outside. The Joker stood up, grinning widely as he ignored me and made his way to the warehouse door. His goon was waving a bag around while more of his colleagues arrived around him, all of them carrying _something_.

The Joker cackled in glee as he took the bag the first lackey present him with and inspected it. His cheerful laughter continued as he brought the bag to me and threw it in my lap.

"Put it on," he instructed before walking to where his men were placing everything.

Carefully, I opened the bag to find a Gotham PD uniform inside. My heart sank to my stomach as I continued to inspect the uniform inside, finding the badge and wearily taking it out.

It read _Bruce Wayne_.

* * *

" _Y ni Dios me va juzgar por los pecados del ayer, porque cuando lo necesité no lo vi aparecer."_

 _("And not even God will judge me for the sins of yesterday, because I didn't see him appear when I needed him.")_


	17. Chapter 16

**Helloooo, people. I hope you're having a great life. I am suffering badly as a Marvel stan, so here's to my angst finding release in this story lol**

 **Hope you enjoy it, read, review, comment, pm me, alert, favorite, whatever you feel like.**

 **Quotes are from The White Stripes' Seven Nation Army (which is like my Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier song).**

* * *

" _And I'm talking to myself at night because I can't forget."_

 **Chapter 16: Crash**

They were marching as the honor guard for the deceased commissioner, hiding in plain sight after the Joker's subtle threat on Mayor Garcia's life. The pretty, little Mexican beside him didn't know any details about it yet, didn't know anything about the outside world since she'd been taken, though.

She had been quiet since they had left the warehouse where she was being kept hostage, just out of Batman's radar if he decided to take interest in why Wayne's girlfriend was taken. She had been marched out of the warehouse with her wrists bound in rope and blindfolded. Once they were Downtown, the blindfold had been removed— as she was once again threatened during instructions—, and her dark eyes merely stared forlornly at the _Bruce Wayne_ tag on her chest.

* * *

" _You know, I honestly_ do _love him… too much, though," Ella muttered as she stared at the dirty red burgundy walls. "It's actually kind of sad. When I was younger, I didn't want to get married. I always said that I had yet to meet someone who could make me love_ them _more than_ myself _for them to tie me down, so to speak… I love my freedom, always have, always will."_

 _The Joker was shocked into silence. There was decidedly something to be said for the girl's life—she had been through a lot—and the fact that she was somehow mostly_ normal _. Sure, she had her quirks but there was definitely none of the trauma or triggers that he would expect from a girl who lived through what she had._

 _But he recognized her exactly for what she was. He'd been there once, after all._

 _Ella Navarro had become an expert at hiding her feelings, bottling them up until she hardly remembered that she wasn't like most girls, drowning her emotions in alcohol and placing all of her attention on the "normal" aspects of her life._

 _It was why she developed her slight obsession on her secret love affair with her cousin, because worrying about a boyfriend was something somewhat_ normal _to suffer. Boys were a reasonable thing all girls could cry over. Having her stepfather molest her while she slept wasn't._

 _She had no father, was unknowingly neglected by her mother, left to fend her stepfather off by herself, scarring herself over a boy, and drowning herself in liquor at seventeen. The Joker could honestly call her a strong woman, but there was something that everyone seemed to forget about the strength of a person._

 _Everyone had a breaking point._

 _The clown could practically see Daniela Stephany Navarro growing up in his mind's eye, from the times her mother ignored her because she was_ too tired _to the moment she woke one day at 2 am to find her stepfather hovering over her. The Joker could practically reach out and_ touch _the fragility of her mental state from a young age, deteriorating with every traumatic event that followed the last._

 _He bit back his grin as she continued to spill her guts._

* * *

I resisted the urge to look around me, waiting for someone to come to my rescue in such a public setting. But I should have known better. No one would recognize me without a drop of makeup on my face and my hair braided and hidden beneath the cap of the GPD uniform.

My face was kept forward as we marched but from the corners of my eyes, I could clearly see the distress and suspicion on all the major players' faces. The mayor was doing well on his poker face, as well as Dent. But Rachel looked nervous, the officers from PD kept inspecting the upper windows lining the street, and Lieutenant Gordon was fidgeting too much to appear unworried. They were right to worry.

The sound emitting from the bagpipes was grating on my nerves, but I grit my teeth and carried on. My instructions were clear.

 _March. Aim. Shoot. Aim. Shoot. Aim. Shoot. Shoot again. Run._

The Joker stood to my left, two other of his men to my right. All of their tags read _Rachel Dawes_ , except his and mine. Mine read _Bruce Wayne_. His read _Batman_. The rest of his men named the Joker's next target. If push came to shove, his and mine were deliveries.

Funny how he didn't know we were to be delivered to the same person.

I could practically feel the vibration of the Joker's absolute glee as Anthony Garcia began to give his eulogy of Commissioner Lowe. His plan was going to perfection. I felt strangely detached from the whole of the event, wondering if really no one would recognize me but resigned to my fate as it was.

"We must remember that vigilance is the price of safety."

I snapped to attention as Mayor Garcia stepped back from the wooden podium with a determined set to his jaw. A bead of sweat ran down the valley between my breasts as my heart beat double-time. Defying orders ran through my mind for the first time since I'd been taken from the warehouse.

"Stand by! Honor guard, attention!"

 _What if I aimed at the Joker?_

"Ready. Aim."

I aimed at the sky.

"Fire!"

My grip tightened on the rifle for a moment, adrenaline running through my veins. _Do it, do it, do it, do it—_

"Ready. Aim. Fire."

The chorus of two steady shots rang throughout the silent street. _He'll see it coming but it's your only chance. He deserves it, he'll kill you, he'll kill innocent people, hewillkillBatm—_

"Ready."

I steeled my nerves and tightened my grip again.

"Aim."

There was a moment of slow-motion for me as all six of us pointed our rifles upwards again, before we all pivoted on our right foot in sync and aimed at Anthony Garcia. I realized James Gordon had jumped up from his seat a little too late, just a moment before all six of us pulled the trigger and the Joker's bullet hit him squarely on the back.

Everything went to hell then.

* * *

 _Rachel Dawes wasn't an issue in their relationship at first, not for the first 16 months at least. Daniela had been Bruce's PA for a little over a year before it became official. She knew him and she knew Rachel and she spent time with both of them, separately and together. She knew what she was getting herself into._

 _Ella was aware of Bruce's warm gaze whenever Rachel laughed, and she was aware of Rachel's lingering glances on his features when she thought no one was looking. She_ knew _there was something unfinished between them, and she was unsure at first of her place in Bruce's life._

 _Which is why they dated two months before it became official. Ella didn't want to be a replacement—or worse, a placeholder—so she put Bruce through the paces. She didn't agree to be his girlfriend the first time because she_ didn't know _. She wasn't willing to be with him until she saw it, the way his eyes shone with adoration when she tilted her head back and narrowed her eyes to laugh. When he laughed at her sarcastic jokes with genuine affection, when he stroked his thumb over hand or ran his fingers through her hair unconsciously, when she was apart from him and his gaze followed her everywhere._

 _When she knew he was hers, at least partly._

 _Daniela was a walking paradox. Due to her past, she could be extremely insecure at times, though it was mostly in her own mind, because outwardly she was very confident in herself and her looks. She was sure of her place in Bruce's life, and so she disregarded the adoration in Bruce's tone when he spoke of Rachel and her fervent glances._

 _Whatever they had or didn't have was not her business as long as they didn't make it her business._

 _At least that was how it was at first. Ella bottled up her jealousy and insecurity and frustration at both Bruce and Rachel until she imploded one night._

 _She and Bruce had been together for a year and 4 months, and they were supposed to be going on a date. They hadn't been out together in a while because things at the office had been busy, so they were finally going out Friday night._

 _Daniela had actually excused herself from the office early to get ready since she generally took about two hours more than Bruce. Except he didn't get home at the accorded time._

 _Ella sat at the bar in the living room in her short, black cocktail dress glumly. It was the first time she was wearing the sequined dress with gold, green, and turquoise fade in the middle with the thin straps and low neckline. It was only pride that stopped her from removing the thin-strapped sandals with stiletto heels. Her hair was straightened but pulled up in an artfully messy bun, makeup dramatic and flawless. Her face belied her frustrated disappointment as she sipped a lemon margarita._

 _The elevator dinged open, and Daniela squashed the urge to turn around._

 _She could hear his footsteps as he stepped out, and she could guess the moment he saw her when his steps stopped short._

 _There was silence as she continued to sip at her drink._

" _Daniela."_

 _Bruce's voice was soft, and she had the sudden urge to cry. But she grit her teeth and swallowed back the suffocating feeling in her throat. She would like to think she didn't deserve this, so she wouldn't give him the satisfaction._

 _She didn't answer._

" _I'm sorry," Bruce continued after her lack of response. His footsteps moved forward until he stood beside her. His scent filled her nostrils and she, once again, felt the burn in the bridge of her nose. "I'm sorry I'm late. I know—"_

 _Bruce's words were cut off as Ella jerked her arm from his grip, just as his hand was closing around her bicep. She whipped her head to look at him, filled with such a righteous rage she couldn't think properly._

" _Sorry doesn't cut it, Bruce!" she snarled. He looked taken aback for a moment, slowly taking his hand back cautiously, as though she were an animal he didn't want to further agitate._

 _It pissed her off more, making her step off the barstool._

" _Where the fuck were you?" Daniela demanded, turning herself to face him with one hand on the low back of the barstool, staring defiantly up at him given that she was shorter than him. "We had a fucking_ date _! The first date we were going to have in_ a month _!"_

" _I'm_ sorry _," Bruce calmly repeated, loosening his tie slowly. "I got caught up at the office—"_

 _The first thing that ran through Ella's mind at that moment was every single book, movie, and TV show she'd seen with the scene where the cheating husband says those exact same words._

" _Doing_ what _?" she exclaimed, taking a step back. It was something she knew he noticed, given that he glanced down at her legs and frowned slightly._

" _Rachel and I—"_

 _She usually wasn't like this. Daniela wasn't the jealous type who relied on her paranoia to demand and interrogate Bruce like she was doing, knowing she wasn't letting him get a word in edgewise but unwilling to_ give a fuck _. His_ hobby _would never let her get away with it but right now, she was at her wit's end._

 _Ella cut Bruce off with a scoff, something that made him frown even more and raise a questioning eyebrow as he waited for her to say something._

" _It's always Rachel," she muttered, pushing slightly at the barstool as she turned her face away from him. Sighing to herself, she began to walk away, admitting defeat for tonight and just wishing desperately for her comfortable bed._

" _What the fuck's that supposed to mean?" Bruce's voice was incredulous, which caused her ire to return with a vengeance. She whipped herself around but remained where she was, a few feet away from the Wayne billionaire._

" _I'm not fucking stupid, Bruce!" Ella yelled, now truly angry. "I knew what I was fucking getting myself into when I decided to have a relationship with you and I_ thought _I could handle it but, clearly, it's becoming a little too hard for me! Maybe you and Rachel have always had something that I can't come between, but that doesn't make it my fault!"_

 _Bruce looked absolutely dumbfounded. Tears pricked at her eyes._

" _I don't know if I thought I could change something, maybe become_ at least _as important as her to you… But it's not what happened and I refuse to accept that it's completely my fault! Is it really so hard to love me?"_

 _Daniela's voice dwindled off in a whisper as a tear dropped from her right eye._

" _I don't know_ where the fuck _—"_

 _Ella laughed a low, incredulous laugh filled with sarcasm. Bruce ran a frustrated hand through his hair as he tried again._

" _Are you asking me—"_

" _The only thing I'm asking you to do," she cut him off calmly, "is to take my feelings into account."_

 _Bruce didn't know what to say, she could see it on his face, one long strand of his straight hair falling in front of his eyes as he sighed. He looked tired, as though he didn't want to be having this conversation at the moment._

" _Daniela, you're my girlfriend, but Rachel is my oldest friend…" his voice trailed off as he looked up at her and, with one look at her face, knew he had fucked up._

 _Ella felt like she had suddenly been doused in ice-cold water, unable to look at him, not really seeing anything as the blood rushed in her ears and tried her hardest not to burst into her eyes. Bruce had really just taken away all her importance as his significant other with that simple comparison._

 _She couldn't look at him, turning away to stand near the sofa. She heard his footsteps start to follow her but stop short._

" _Why do you think I'm with you?"_

 _Daniela cursed the waver in her voice as she awaited his response. She didn't really know how to put her thoughts into words but figured it was better to ask that than why_ he _was with_ her _._

" _I don't—" The complete confusion was evident in his voice. "I'm not sure what you're trying to say to me."_

" _Despite what everyone thinks, I'm not a gold digger, Bruce," his girlfriend replied, turning to look at him again. "I'm not with you for the money, or because you're my boss. I'm not trying to sleep my way to the top, and subsequently, what you do affects me. I_ love _you, that's why I'm with you. Not because it's convenient, because honestly, I could be with anybody—"_

 _He scoffed. Bruce. Fucking. Scoffed. At her words._

 _She was actually going to say_ anybody else and it wouldn't be the same _, but his reaction made her want to_ lose her shit _._

 _Ella cut herself off and stared at him with the most incredulous look of offense she could manage._

" _Fuck you, then!" she yelled at him, whipping around to grab the clutch on the sofa before making her way to elevator._

* * *

Pandemonium broke out around them.

The Joker instinctively crouched to place his gun on the ground, as did the rest of his men. His eyes remained trained on Daniela, who had been given clear instructions.

The Mexican brunette crouched with the rifle in her hands, trying not to get caught as she aimed at one of his men. The Joker smirked—he knew she didn't like the man with the slicked-back hair and pointy features—as Ella pulled the trigger and he fell. She had shot him in the leg.

 _March. Aim, shoot. Crouch, shoot. Run. I will be behind you._

The Joker chuckled under his breath as he took to the right, his eyes still on Daniela's form, but farther away now, swept up in the panic surrounding him.

Ella threw the rifle down and began to run toward their checkpoint. Then, she glanced behind herself and her steps faltered. The Joker continued to walk towards one of the buildings, heading toward the shadow of its side alley as he observed her.

He had told her he would be behind her, and if she tried to escape, he would kill her.

Daniela hesitated for a moment, before she turned in the opposite direction, running toward Rachel Dawes, who was apparently arguing with Harvey Dent.

She shouted the attorney's name before crashing into her with a hug.

The Joker grinned widely as he slipped into the shadows of the alley and disappeared.

 _That's right, baby girl… Break._

* * *

" _A seven-nation army couldn't hold me back."_


	18. Chapter 17

**Hey, guys, hope you're having a great day.**

 **Here's the newest update, y'all know the drill. Have fun reading, review, favorite, alert, it's your call, people. Love you, guys.**

 **Oh, and I am abso-fucking-lutely basing Sebastian off of Seb Stan.**

 **Btw, the hero stuff. It's my headcannon that they still make comics based off of fictional superheroes, and not actual heroes in each universe. For example, Marvel gets DC Comics in which the League are fictional heroes and so no Cap and Iron Man comics. Therefore, the DC universe has Marvel Comics, including Cap ;)**

 **Quotes are fro ARIZONA's Let Me Touch Your Fire.**

* * *

" _I'm cold, sick, and I'm tired, so baby, let me touch your fire."_

 **Cha** **pter 17: Downfall**

The only thought running through my mind was _Run, before he sees you_.

It felt futile in some ways, but I had to try, had to make an effort. I didn't want to die, instinct pushing me to keep moving forward, curiosity asking me to look back and see if the Joker was pointing a gun at me, but the fear running adrenaline through my veins urged me not to do so. Curiosity killed the cat, after all.

A strange kind of desperation was dripping down my stomach. It was my own acknowledgement that I would never be free from the Joker, not really. No matter how fast and how far I ran, the Joker would always have a piece of me in his clutches.

I had really given caution to the wind when I thought I would die. I didn't think of any consequences and was loathe to consider them now. There was no going back, but I could already feel the rich deepness of his voice whispering my name in my ear.

" _Daniela…"_

Resisting the urge to shake my head, I spotted Rachel and yelled out her name. The older brunette looked up, finding me in the crowd, disbelief written on her features. I couldn't believe it, either, though it was too early to cry victory.

I didn't stop running at all, instead crashing into her hug, just as Harvey Dent yelled something at her and disappeared. I didn't pay him any attention, feeling Rachel's warm skin beneath my own, listening to her repeat my name over the sound of my heart pounding in my ears.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," I finally whispered, though not moving given that Rachel was still clutching me to her as much as I was clinging to her. Rachel was trying not to cry, I could feel it in the way she took gulps of deep, trembling breaths.

Detective Ramirez—never liked that bitch—was pushing us both, trying to get us to climb into the cop car at our side. Rachel and I pulled apart, and I could see Rachel's expression crumble as her eyes locked onto the bruises on my face and throat.

It struck me for the first time that she may feel guilty for my kidnapping. They weren't specifically after her that night she brought her attention onto her, and by extension, me. But I had been so focused on putting the blame on Bruce, it had never crossed my mind to blame her.

"Get in the car now!" Anna Ramirez was raising her voice at us—there were still shots being fired—as she tried to get us to move. I turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow. "You're not out of danger yet. Get in the car now, _please_."

 _I'm not any safer with you_.

Rachel and I climbed into the vehicle as Rachel took her phone out and began dialing a number.

* * *

 _Daniela Navarro worked hard for the paid internship she earned herself at Wayne Enterprises. She had money saved up from her shifts at Arroyo's given that she didn't really spend any of it on her partying weekends. Also the fact that she didn't go out weekdays._

 _She got into a routine pretty quickly._

 _She had classes in the morning. Sometimes she walked into first period at 7:30 am looking like a zombie in her Superman pajamas, hair up in a messy bun that took 5 seconds, one hand holding a cup of coffee, and the other holding together the two corners of the Captain America blanket draped over her shoulders like a cape. Other days, she woke up early to take a shower, put on a nice pair of jeans and a cute top, adding mascara and lipstick to bounce out of her dormitory in a flurry of chocolate curls and combat boots._

 _After her daily 6 hours of classes, she would run to her dorm, take a shower, make herself presentable before turning up at Wayne Enterprises. By 9 pm at the latest, she was back home, frantically doing first period's homework before crashing at midnight._

 _Rinse. Repeat. Rinse and repeat._

 _Weekends where she went out to party began to dwindle due to her internship. Ella was really making an effort to be useful at the company, willing to prove she deserved the scholarship they were sponsoring for her, as well as the paid internship she had fought tooth and nail to earn._

 _Ella graduated with a major in Accounting and a minor in Legal. She also had enough credits to minor in Civil Engineering and Finance if she wanted to keep studying a little more. But when she graduated, she was offered a couple more hours with her internship, as well as a pay raise._

 _Now that she was no longer studying, Ella began to enter at Wayne Enterprises at 8 am, sharp, every morning, looking pretty and professional. She continued with her paid internship at Wayne Enterprises for roughly another year, before she was summoned by_ Lucius Fox _himself._

 _Bruce Wayne needed a personal assistant, and given that Lucius was managing mostly every aspect of Wayne's business life, he was asking her if she would like the position._

" _I know it is uncommon for me to seek out his PA, but I have heard good things about you. I cannot ask just anybody to deal with Mr. Wayne, because I know he can be a handful and take over just about anyone and anything… but you come with recommendations," Mr. Fox had explained._

 _Daniela Navarro accepted on the spot, figuring that weekend could be used to celebrate her promotion at a nightclub after months and months behaving._

* * *

Bruce was on his way back to the lair—the alternative to the Batcave—when his phone began to ring. He stopped the motorcycle on the empty street he was on to answer Rachel's call.

"We've got her back. She's with me."

Those were the only words Rachel said before she hung up. There was moment where his heart skipped a beat, though it felt like it had completely stopped to him. _How the fuck did they get her back?_

He restarted the motorcycle to turn back around toward Downtown, racing along the empty street. Rachel was probably headed back to the police department after the chaos that went down, working with the Major Crimes Unit.

How the fuck was she back, though? He hadn't done anything yet, wasn't planning on doing anything until that night. He had publicly accepted the Joker's ransom on his social media, because if he didn't know how to contact him as Batman, Bruce Wayne would have no idea what to do either.

But there had been no word from the clown—too busy planning the disaster for that morning, probably—and so Bruce was going to try to seek him out as Batman that night.

Especially after he killed Jim Gordon.

But how was Daniela back? Because—no offense to his girlfriend but—her survival instincts weren't strong enough to fight back and escape. The Joker _let her go._ Why?

 _Some men just want to watch the world burn._

* * *

 _Bruce waited for Ella to cool down and come back to the penthouse, but she didn't. He knew she was angry and was probably fine, but he began to worry. It didn't take him long to track her phone's location down to a bar down in Gotham central called La Malquerida. It wasn't one of the seedy bars filled with purse-snatchers, but it wasn't the one of the upper-social-class nightclubs that they frequented now and again together._

 _Bruce took the Lamborghini to the bar to go fetch her, thinking she was probably going back to old habits and drowning herself in drink after drink and dance after dance._

 _But what he found when he got there was not it. Somehow, it felt worse._

 _She wasn't dancing on a table with a girl she'd just met, beer in hand and tequila long-dried on her bellybutton. Instead, she was sitting calmly at the bar with another guy, maybe a couple of years older than her, a half-empty glass of beer on the bar next to her._

 _Ella was facing the guy on her stool, her long legs crossed with her hands on them as she threw her head back to laugh at something he'd said. What could possibly be that funny?_

 _The stranger was staring at Ella with an expression Bruce clearly recognized, a worshipping kind of adoration shining in his sky-blue eyes. He knew, better than anybody, how easy it was to be attracted to Daniela._

 _Bruce could feel his already-stressed patience wearing thin as he approached the bar with determined strides. What the hell did she think she was doing? She knew she was basically famous now, she had to be careful of her appearances and reputation and—_

 _The man beside Ella said something else, making her laugh and retort something that caused the stranger to burst into surprised laughter._

Witty banter _, Bruce couldn't help but think to himself bitterly. Ella was a sucker for that. The blue-eyed stranger had brown hair swept upwards at the front and one of the most chiseled jawlines Bruce had ever seen._

 _And that's when Ella spotted him coming at them from her right, his path clear and straight. Her face fell into a scowl, and she turned to grab her glass half-full of beer and downed it in two gulps. The man in front of her turned to see what had made her so upset and frowned when he saw the Wayne billionaire headed toward him._

 _Nobody said a word as Bruce stood beside them. Ella sighed as she placed the glass back on the bar counter. Turning toward her new friend, she smiled with as much sarcasm as she could manage and gestured toward him grandly._

" _And this is Bruce!" The other man eyed him. "Bruce, this is Sebastian."_

 _Sebastian didn't even try to shake Bruce's hand as he assessed him coolly with his light eyes. He had guts, Bruce had to give him that. Bruce ignored him and turned toward his girlfriend._

" _Let's go, Ella," he ordered, reaching to take her clutch from the counter, expecting her to stand at the tone of his voice. Instead, Ella scoffed under her breath._

" _I'm sure Rachel has somewhere for you to be right now, I'm fine staying a while longer with Seb."_

 _A rage so hot, it felt cold flashed through him with a quickness he hadn't experienced before. He'd never had to fight for his girlfriend's attention before. Her words flashed through his mind._

I could be with anybody.

 _And she could, he knew she could. But at the moment, he didn't give a flying fuck because she wasn't. She was with him, had been with him for a little over two years officially and even more time unofficially. So he wanted to get home and fix this mess._

" _Daniela," he said, his voice the most strained he'd heard it in a long time, "get the fuck up_ now _, and get moving."_

 _Ella rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically, standing from the stool as Bruce stepped back from her. She leaned forward, had the audacity to give_ Sebastian _a kiss on the cheek, whisper something in his ear, and then motion toward him._

" _I thought we were leaving?"_

 _Her clutch was gripped hard in his left hand, and he had half a mind to punch the sucker out. But he knew it would accomplish nothing, and it wouldn't alleviate the feeling of absolute indignation causing his blood to boil and demanding he remind Ella—and everyone—whose she was._

 _Bruce glared coolly at_ Sebastian _and walked behind her to the car. When they got home, chaos ensued like it never had between them before._

* * *

When Bruce Wayne burst into the MCU of the Gotham PD, nobody looked surprised to see him, expecting his presence already, even though they themselves had just arrived back at the offices. His eyes scanned the room, though nobody looked twice at him and continued with their harried movements all over the place.

Bruce's eyes were dark as night as he zoomed into Daniela's form, whispering fervently to one Rachel Dawes at a desk, gripping Rachel's wrist tightly enough to cause her hand to tremble. She was wearing a Gotham CPD uniform, and his detective's mind immediately connected the puzzle pieces.

The Joker had made her a part of his schemes.

Wayne cursed under his breath as he hurried toward her, and he was reminded of that one night he went to look for her at _La Malquerida_. She looked up as she sensed his approach, and her already-pale complexion seemed to turn an ashen grey when she froze.

"Daniela," Bruce whispered, right before he reached the two most important women in his life and swept her into a hug.

Ella seemed caught off-guard and her form was still tense beneath his fingertips. She seemed to hesitate for a moment before she sobbed and her arms came around him.

"I thought I would never see you again," she muttered, her voice wet with tears she was refusing to let spill, her face buried in the shoulder of his leather jacket.

And that was a thought that struck him for the first time. Not once had it crossed his mind that the Joker would kill her, it didn't seem like the kind of play he would make. Bruce had merely not _allowed_ himself to even contemplate the thought that the last time he saw her was when they were breaking up. That the last thing he said to her was how much he loved her. That the last thing she knew of him was that he threw himself out of a top-story window to save Rachel. That the last thing she would think of him was that he wouldn't save _her_.

Bruce attempted to push the thoughts out of his mind, squeezing Daniela tighter. She tried to pull away after a moment, but he was still thinking that _he could've lost her_ , and he did _nothing_.

How would _she_ take that?

When Bruce refused to let her go, Ella seemed to let all the fight leave her body. She was clinging to him now, breathing in his scent as she tried to still her frantic heart.

"Do you love me?" she heard herself whisper, just as surprised as Bruce was when he heard her.

"You know I do," Bruce replied as soon as his brain processed the question. "Do _you_ love _me_?"

It was a question Bruce had never asked Ella before. He'd never had to.

"So much," Ella murmured, sounding half-proud and half-ashamed of it. Bruce didn't quite know what to make of the tone of her voice, but he was too far in. It was all or nothing, and if she hesitated, he knew he had caused it.

"Will you marry me?" he whispered in her ear, feeling her instantly stiffen in his arms. She pulled back to look him in the eye, and he got his first good look at her. Ella was wearing absolutely no makeup, but the only thing that did was highlight _all the fucking bruises on her face and neck_.

He felt a surge of anger run through him, slow and steady.

That manic asshole had hit her, had choked her, had—

"… Yes."

Nobody else but him heard.

* * *

" _I've got a cold heart and cold hands."_


	19. Chapter 18

**Hey, guys, I've had this chapter for a couple of days already and I would like your opinion. Already working on the next one, hope you guys like it and enjoy!**

 **Quotes are from Avril Lavigne's Give You What You Like**

* * *

" _And if you don't give me what I want, then you'll get what you deserve."_

 **Chapter 18: Incentive**

Daniela was allowed to go home after they took a statement and interrogated her for every little detail she could remember about the Joker. She didn't want to give them any.

Logically, she knew she should. The Joker was a criminal, despite everything he'd done or hadn't done for and to her, but she hadn't really seen him like that. Ella knew he was a cold-blooded killer, and he had said some cruel things to her—though that was really just what he used to psyche people out—but he hadn't tortured her. He had allowed her to wash herself, had brought her clean clothes, had _listened_ to her.

He had only hurt her when she got mouthy.

She had told the MCU the basics. Ella had been kept in a warehouse, she had no idea where, she had not been told any of his plans at all. Yes, she had been instructed to kill Mayor Garcia but—hello—she kind of wanted to live so she followed orders. She had no clue what his next move was, in fact, the Joker was extremely unpredictable. She escaped by _disobeying_ direct orders. Yes, she had washed because the Joker hadn't been an evil asshole. Yes, he had choked her and bitch-slapped her when she refused to follow orders, but that was the extent of her injuries.

Could she _go home_ now?

Bruce asked Rachel if she would like to go with them now, but the tall brunette insisted she had to stay and help the other detectives in the Major Crimes Unit. The Joker had really fucked them over this time.

* * *

" _Fuck you!" Ella yelled in Bruce's face. "It's always been Rachel first, it's always going_ to be _Rachel first and I'm sick of it."_

" _You're exaggerating, and_ you know you are _," he retorted, his knuckles white against the leather of the steering wheel. "You've been like this since our anniversary, since—"_

" _Since you told me you weren't willing to marry me?" Ella cut him off indignantly, turning to give him a hard stare. Bruce swallowed back his guilt and averted his eyes, making Ella hum triumphantly and open the door to the car. She slipped out, Bruce watching her thin form make her way into the building before he followed her._

 _Ella managed to get into the elevator and make her way to the penthouse before he even entered the building, so he had to wait until the elevator made its' way back to the ground floor. Once he was in the steel box, he was already simmering in his own rage._

What the hell was she trying to prove with Sebastian? _That she could get someone else's attention? Sure, he already knew that, though. She didn't have to gallivant another man under his nose for him to acknowledge it._

 _What was most important, though, was the fact that_ it didn't matter _. Ella wasn't leaving him for Sebastian, and they both knew it. She was assuredly not going to cheat on him, so what did it fucking matter?_

 _Except he could still see the look on Sebastian's face in his mind's eye, the way his blue eyes were wholly focused on his girlfriend. He could see the suggestion in her dark eyes, the way her teeth caught on her full bottom lip in that teasing lilt, the slight raise of her eyebrow in challenge, all things he could remember from when_ they _first met._

 _And he could still remember how Sebastian responded to her, the darkening of his eyes, the way his teasing grin turned feral. But that wasn't what bothered him, anyone could be attracted to Daniela, anyone could want to fuck her senseless over and over again and curl around her form for a night._

 _But Sebastian's adoring expression hinted at more. It hinted at a desire to give into her every whim, to buy her more jewelry than she could possibly want just for the hell of it, to watch her smile at cartoons and cry during sad scenes in movies. It hinted at a want_ so deep, _to just drink her in and_ be with her _._

 _It alluded to all the things Bruce could do, to wish to_ takehis place _._

 _And that was_ not _going to happen. Bruce had worked hard to have his place in Daniela's life, to be a priority to her and—_

 _He was_ furious _when he stalked into the penthouse._

 _Bruce found her in the bedroom, her back to him. Her hair was in loose, black waves around her bare shoulders, and she turned her head toward the door when he slammed it shut. She had removed the makeup already and was in the process of unzipping her dress to change._

" _What the_ fuck _were you thinking?" Bruce demanded as he advanced on her. Ella wasn't afraid of him—Bruce had made sure that wasn't one of her opinions on him—so the only thing she did was whirl around to face him and stand her ground defiantly._

" _I did nothing wrong," she stated levelly. And Bruce knew she was truly pissed off now. Daniela never yelled when she was angry, she did that when she was exasperated. When she was mad, her voice remained level, her tone cutting, her words_ vicious _in their calculated ability to wound._

" _You never do," he retorted, pulling her toward him with one large hand on each bicep. "You're_ never _wrong. You think you've been through it all, and no one can understand your pain. You think you've gained so much_ wisdom _from the life you lived."_

 _Bruce watched Daniela's expression grow steadily colder. He knew he was crossing a line, feeding on the secrets Ella had bared to him in her vulnerability, in her love for him, and using those insecurities as his daggers to hurt her._

" _The only thing your life ever did to you,_ Daniela _, was_ fuck you up _."_

 _There was a moment of silence, his grip on her arms unmoving, though she didn't struggle at all either. She just stood in his grip as she stared up at him with her cold, unmoving expression._

" _And you know what you are, don't you?" she replied calmly, her lips hinting at the wish to smile—or more likely in this case, to smirk. "You're just a good fuck, Bruce, and an easy lay to the top. I mean, look at me. I'm_ living the life _. I have money, I have power, I have beauty. And as the power-hungry_ bitch _we both know I am, let me tell you nothing you say matters. Because I_ am _fucked up, but guess what? The rest of me makes up for it."_

 _She licked her lips slowly, her eyes on his own._

" _You're just a pretty, white boy born into power and wealth, playing at the hero with his dubious morality, unable to take responsibility of his family's legacy, and nothing to show for it but his parents' graves."_

 _Her words were like a punch to the gut, and he had to consciously stop the urge to tighten his grip. She didn't mean that. Bruce knew she always went for the jugular, and her words—though particularly cruel this time—were usually not her own, but borne from the vengeful side of her anger._

 _Still, they hurt, and he had to bite back a snarl. They had never fought like this before, never said things so nasty to each other before. But something told him she had plenty of practice. He leaned his face closer to hers._

" _Fuck you, Ella," he whispered. "_ As if _you could be anyone without your looks. You're nothing without your makeup and short dresses. As a matter of fact, you're_ nothing _without_ me _."_

 _Daniela growled as she yanked her arm out of his grip, and he was suddenly slapped across the face. He whipped his head back to look at her, and she looked_ so goddamn sexy _._

 _His first response was to kiss her. Bruce crashed his lips onto hers, and she responded in the same feral way. One of his hands slid up her arm to find its' place on her neck, tightening the slightest amount around her throat out of reflex._

 _Bruce had never heard her make a sound like guttural moan that escaped her lips before. It gave him pause, making him lean back as he contemplated the discovery of her kink. Her pupils were blown._

" _Bruce."_

 _He'd never seen her like that before, turned on to a point that was_ sinful _. Everything about her was different. Her lips were almost red and swollen, her cheeks flushed, her hair mussed, her voice deep and throaty. Everything about her was begging him to make her his, to prove his own words, to make_ her _unable to forget it._

 _That night they'd fucked like animals, in a way they never had before. It was all pain and pleasure, rolled into one, all teeth and nails and kinks. It was all about marking her as his, reminding her she was his and no one else's, and that_ no one _would make her feel like he did._

 _Daniela never saw Sebastian again. Bruce made sure she didn't even want to._

* * *

When Bruce and Ella arrived at the Wayne penthouse, she was resisting the urge to cling to his side like a helpless damsel in distress. She wasn't, in reality, and the want to do so wasn't even borne of her actual fear. Instead, it came from the expectation that she _should_ react as such, when there was really no fear or distress.

Was she this fucked up?

Ella was sitting on the edge of the bed in one of Bruce's sweatshirts and a pair of black yoga pants in complete and utter silence. Bruce didn't quite know how to approach her, instead making his way to the nightstand on his side of the bed. He was pressing his right thumb to the tiny biometric scanner camouflaged on the wall right above the nightstand when she spoke.

"Did you mean it?"

Bruce didn't reply, instead taking the small box from the panel that slid open and closing it again. Ella was still staring off into the distance when he dropped to one knee in front of her.

"Of course I did," he replied, holding the open box out to her. The 18kt engagement ring had a band of white gold, a round-brilliant-cut diamond cushioned in six prongs at the center, one small black diamond as each side stone in four prongs, and five tiny diamonds accenting each side. It was so beautiful.

"Oh my Thor," Ella whispered, taking in the breathtaking sight.

It wasn't how she ever imagined it would be like, that's for sure. She always figured she would look stunning in a gala dress, makeup flawless as she sat at a restaurant table. Bruce would kneel in a black suit, looking amazingly handsome in the light of the candle flame. It would be perfect.

The fantasy had been gone for the past two years but the point was made.

Instead, Bruce was kneeling in jeans and a grey v-neck, barefoot and hair tousled. She wore nothing but a sweater and yoga pants, hair a wavy mess around her shoulders, not a drop of makeup on her face and bruises adorning her complexion. It was, somehow, infinitely better.

Had he always had the ring?

"How long have you had it?" Ella whispered, looking into Bruce's dark eyes. He seemed at a loss for a moment, as though he hadn't expected the question. Slowly, he shrugged.

"I figured if we made it to our fifth anniversary, it should happen," he replied. Ella's eyes slowly trailed their way to the floor, looking crestfallen, and the only thing Bruce was hoping was to cheer her up. She insisted the Joker hadn't done anything to leave a lasting impression, but he knew Daniela better than that. She would repress it all until she forgot it.

"We didn't make it," she whispered, not raising her gaze.

"It doesn't matter," Bruce insisted, jumping from the floor to sit beside her, taking her left hand in his own. Her long, slim fingers were warmer than his, as usual, and he entwined their hands together. Her long, manicured nails dug into the back of his hand lightly. "We would've made it if it wasn't for me. I'm sorry for everything that's happened lately, and the only thing last night taught me was that I _don't_ want to live without you. I know you gave up on the idea of us marrying two years ago, and I'm _sorry_ for dashing your dreams like that, but at the moment, it wasn't something I saw myself doing. But _now_ , _for you_ … I want to marry you."

Ella was looking toward him now, the corners of her lips twitching as she tried to contain her smile. There was a moment of silence, her dark eyes searching his face as her full lips broke out into a grin. It was one of those moments he knew he would always remember, the memory of her breathtaking grin as she accepted to be his wife.

Bruce grinned back at her, disentangling their hands to take the ring out of the box and slip it onto the thin fourth finger of her left hand. It looked beautiful in its place, custom-made for her and the uniqueness of his amazing girlfriend.

"I love you," he muttered, pecking her lips and hugging her. Ella chuckled in his ear—he missed that taunting color to her deep laugh—and threw her right leg over both of his to straddle him. She pulled back and looked down at his face in between her hands, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"I love you _so much_ ," she breathed, leaning down to kiss him, deepening it once the rhinestone on her golden barbell ran over his upper lip. Things escalated quickly from there, until Ella was lying on her stomach on the bed, sweater long gone. Bruce was hovering over her, licking his way up her back as hid hands tracked similar movements up the sides of her body.

Daniela wasn't really thinking about anything, just letting the feel of Bruce's hands ghost over her breasts, making their way to her neck. He was kissing the back of her neck, dragging his lips lightly toward the sensitive skin of her ear.

His hand was around her neck, his fingers barely touching either side of her throat, when he whispered her name in her ear, and she _lost it_.

Daniela didn't even say anything, merely gasped and scrambled to get off the bed, slapping Bruce's hands away from her in a panic. He was unable to move in his confusion, merely watching as Ella groaned and fell off the bed, quickly picking herself up to curl into herself in the corner of the room by the closet.

She had heard him. Daniela had clearly heard the Joker's voice whisper her name in her ear, and she imagined herself back in that warehouse, the Joker's rough hand squeezing her throat as his deep voice whispered huskily in her ear.

" _You're not a fucking guest here,_ Daniela _."_

The sound of his voice that deep, in that growly tone, had the hairs on the back of her neck standing, remembering his chocolate eyes scrutinizing her as she told her story.

He was going to _kill her_. Wasn't he?

Was this Stockholm syndrome?

Bruce was kneeling in front of Ella, shirtless and barefoot, trying to get her to listen to him, but all she could hear was the rushing of her blood in her ears. Slowly, his words started to filter in to her, started to make sense to her scrambled mind, but in a disjointed kind of way. She knew they were actual, existing words of the English language, but they meant nothing _to_ her.

Ella brushed Bruce off without a word, standing suddenly. She was topless, so she grabbed his grey v-neck off the floor and slipped it on. He could only watch her from the corner of the room as she grabbed the pack of cigarettes and lighter in the top drawer of her nightstand and made her way out into the balcony.

* * *

" _And if you give me what I want, then I'll give you what you like."_


	20. Chapter 19

**Hey, guyyyys. Sorry for the lateness, but life got hectic. I was pregnant and then had to get an abortion and a million problems with the father and money issues within all of it, no time to focus on this but I'm hopefully back on track. By the way, I realize I never told you guys this, but after writing Chapter 3, I realized how much I adored the song used and had one of the quotes tattooed around my left thigh like a garter.**

 **And so, this story is how my "And I swear to God I'll find myself in the end." tattoo came to be lol**

 **I hope you guys enjoy this story, would adore some feedback, and I've been thinking about the end to this. I have always had one in mind, but something else has struck with divine inspiration, but I'm thinking that could be an alternative ending. Let me know what you guys think about that.**

 **Quotes are from Jaymes Young's I'll Be Good. Enjoy!**

* * *

" _I never meant to start a fire."_

 **Chapter 19:** **Ascent**

 _The dark, imposing figure of the Batman emerged from the shadows of the dingy apartment, slightly startling Detective Ramirez. Not Gordon, though. He knew the Bat's tactics as well as he knew his own._

" _Check the names," the Caped Crusader instructed in his raspy voice. Jim glanced at his fellow detective before taking a white handkerchief from his pocket and reading the names on the badges._

" _Harvey Dent," the lieutenant muttered, mostly to himself, his detective's mind already scanning his surroundings in search of more clues. After dismissing his men and Detective Ramirez at Batman's request, Gordon watched the supposed superhero warily, thinking on how to broach the subject at hand._

 _Gordon had never really requested anything from the Bat, neither as a favor or an order—as if he could be ordered around. James Gordon turned back to the dead men in front of him as he cleared his throat._

" _Bruce Wayne's girlfriend was taken by the Joker."_

 _The Batman stopped what he was doing._

" _Why?" he rasped, and Jim found he couldn't give him an answer. Nobody understood the Joker, that was for sure, and nobody could make heads nor tails of his motivation to take her. The only person who would be affected by his actions was Bruce, and maybe by extension Rachel, but it would accomplish nothing._

 _Unless she knew something._

 _Suddenly, Gordon understood how Batman was probably seeing the situation and found himself mentally backpedaling to defend her. She could reduce someone to nothing with a few phone calls and destroy anyone's self-esteem with some cutting words, but that was about it. Ella was mostly harmless, after all._

" _Nobody knows," he responded, watching the Bat get back to work on the drywall. "He went after Rachel because of Dent, he might be trying the same on Rachel."_

Some men just want to watch the world burn.

 _Batman remained silent._

" _Wayne wants to know if you can find her. We want her back," Gordon continued, watching the Caped Crusader finish on the wall and turn toward him. Obviously, he never could tell what Batman was feeling, but he especially felt the cold of his responses tonight. He probably thought his time could be better-spent tracking the Joker down._

 _Well, to track him down, he'd have to track Ella anyway._

" _We?" was the Bat's response. The lieutenant shrugged as he looked down at the table, feeling suddenly vulnerable as he was scrutinized. He'd never shown any attachment to anyone besides his family before._

" _She's a friend."_

 _His eye caught sight of a handwritten, black HA on the newspaper print under a cup. He lifted it to reveal Anthony Garcia's face drawn on, the mark of the Joker on the whole page._

" _She might not be alive," Batman said. James Gordon's head snapped toward him at that, unable to fathom the words just spoken. It was eerie, listening to the Caped Crusader talk about death as though it didn't affect him when he was the superhero who refused to kill criminals who deserved it, who put 'no deaths on my hands' at the top of his priority list._

" _He has no reason to kill her," Gordon snapped._

" _He has no reason to keep her alive, either," Batman was saying when Gordon lifted the newspaper wordlessly. His masked eyes zeroed in on the bold, black HA's surrounding the red-lipped, white-painted face of the mayor._

" _I think we found his next target."_

 _Batman gave him the most deadpan stare he could manage._

* * *

Ella stood staring at the cloudy Gotham skyline with a cigarette held delicately between her index and middle fingers. The rest of the box was thrown on the table nearby, still open and inviting. She brought the Marlboro Ruby between her full lips and lifted the lighter to the end of it. The flame of the lighter flickered feebly in the wind as she inhaled and the flame lit her deathstick.

Throwing the lighter on the table, she inhaled once, feeling the smoke fill her lungs as she cut her breathing off. Relaxing, she exhaled the thick smoke and felt some of the tension ebb from her shoulders.

Daniela removed the cigarette from her lips to nibble on the butt with her teeth. She carefully felt for the first filter—the purple one—and popped it with a sharp bite once she found it.

She was taking another drag from the Ruby when she heard Bruce make his way outside. His footsteps sounded hesitant and he himself remained quiet, as though he didn't know what to make of her.

He never did, though.

"Are you fine?" Bruce's voice halted, the _now_ going unsaid but definitely implied. Ella formed an 'o' with her lips as she exhaled and shrugged.

"As fine as I'll ever be," she replied. Daniela folded her pinky and ring finger at the knuckle and extended the other three fingers, the cigarette approaching her lips once more in her sideways hand. She took a deep drag and seemed to relish greatly in the feel of the smoke in her.

Although Bruce disapproved of her smoking, he couldn't deny how sexy she always looked with a cigarette held delicately between her fingers and a pout on her full lips as she blew out smoke that curled around her delicate features or merely in the air in front of her.

Bruce walked closer to her then, standing beside her at the railing of the balcony as they stared off at the distance. He was reminded immediately of the previous night—God, he couldn't believe it hadn't even been a full 24 hours since she broke up with him, was kidnapped, and somehow returned safely.

He felt the difference in those 17 hours, though. Bruce could feel the distance Ella had put between them in those 12 inches separating them.

Except it hadn't been Ella, though. It had been his own doing.

Bruce sighed as he hung his head, his shoulders slumping slightly in defeat. That seemed to startle Ella as she turned her head to him sharply and her hand moved closer to him, as though she wanted to touch him, to comfort him.

Except she didn't. Daniela stopped her hand's movement and instead gripped the railing, turning back to the horizon.

 _Chasing down that sundown, so far east, I'm westbound._

"Are _you_ okay?" she said, and Bruce huffed in amusement.

"I'm sorry," Bruce replied, seizing the railing tightly between his cold fingers. His mind was going around in circles, wondering what exactly he was sorry for. He had too much to apologize for, and he was too much of a coward to admit to it, not with the great possibility he had of losing her.

Was he apologizing for letting the Joker kidnap her, inadvertently choosing to rescue Rachel instead of her? Was it for asking her to marry him while he was still not in love with her, was still in love with Rachel? Maybe it was because he _did_ want to marry her, if only to assure himself that he would not lose her, that she would be with him always, that she would not walk away from him…

Daniela didn't say anything, merely taking another drag of her cigarette and exhaling slowly. She shrugged and said, "I know."

The cigarette was back between her lips before she could say anything else.

* * *

" _What did he do to you?" Rachel murmured, her fingers twitching as though she wanted to touch the bruised skin of her throat and cheek. The marks were a stark contrast to the slight tan of her skin, bringing everyone's attention to them. Ella was pretty sure they looked worse than they actually felt at that point._

" _Nothing," Daniela dismissed, gesturing a careless 'forget about it' motion with her hand. "I got mouthy."_

 _Rachel looked unimpressed, staring intently at the Mexican brunette as if she would crack under her gaze. Ella resisted the urge to roll her eyes. The attorney should know by now she could lie as if it were the only truth she knew._

" _It's whatever, but listen," Daniela replied, leaning closer to her friend as she lowered her voice. "You need to be really, really careful, okay? The Joker—"_

" _We can handle the Joker, Dani, but you should probably get checked out. If not before we get your statement, afterwa—"_

" _No, Rachel, stop," Ella interrupted, leaning closer to her over the desk between them. She barely resisted telling her friend that the great detectives of the MCU couldn't find anything about him, that the Joker was always one step ahead of them, if not two. In fact, the Joker was playing chess while the MCU figured out how checkers worked._

 _She swallowed all of that down._

" _Dani, I'm telling you," Rachel kept speaking, dismissing Ella's words. "This isn't really your field—"_

Daniela had a fucking Master's degree in Law, _she wasn't just a fucking secretary._

 _Ella grit her teeth and clutched Rachel's wrist tightly, pulling her closer and whispering angrily in her ear._

" _You fucking listen to me, alright? The Joker may be a nutjob, but he's a nutjob that knows_ exactly _what he's doing. You guys have_ no idea _how_ out of your fucking league _you are," her deep voice murmured harshly, pulling back a bit. "You guys think you'll find anything with fingerprint scans on our guns or something? You think everything he's doing is on a whim? He's got_ people everywhere _, Rachel."_

 _Ella could see Rachel open her mouth, gearing up to deny what she'd just said. The younger woman didn't give her a chance, squeezing the delicate wrist still in her bigger hand in warning before plowing on._

" _How do you think we were the honor guard?"_

 _Rachel's mouth snapped shut. Ella noticed her eyes that had previously been staring at a blank wall drift over her shoulder and focus on something._

 _Or someone._

 _Daniela turned to find she was right. Bruce was here._

* * *

"We should talk," Bruce said suddenly, watching the sun slowly lower in the sky, followed by a darker hue of blue that would soon give way to nightfall. Daniela shrugged, taking one last drag of the cigarette, holding the butt between her thumb and index finger, before she flicked it into the empty air.

"After all this Gordon shit, yeah."

Her words were followed by a deep breath, and he was reminded that the lieutenant's family had yet to be informed of what happened.

"I have to go…" Bruce's voice trailed off at the careless, dismissive gesture of Daniela's hand. She didn't even turn to look at him as he spoke.

 _God, what had they turned into?_

Bruce resisted the urge to sigh and turned on his heel, _finally_ leaving Ella alone to sort through her thoughts and the confused jumble of feelings inside her.

Part of her was completely terrified she had developed some sort of Stockholm's Syndrome at the Joker's casual treatment of her and her own ability to unload on him. She had said so much—things she probably shouldn't have—but the way it left her feeling rendered her incapable of caring.

To her, life and the decisions she made were always judged on how they made _her_ feel. And she had felt so _free_ in those moments, telling someone who didn't know her, wouldn't care, wouldn't have to carry the burden of her pain alongside her.

Part of her adored the Joker for merely listening and not interjecting with questions of his own or empty words of sorrow. But part of her was terrified of him, knowing he had the ability to kill her without a second thought, knowing he had abused her emotionally, knowing he had probably broken her somehow without her even noticing yet.

Was she whole?

She never had been, to begin with, but it felt like the Joker had kept a few pieces of her to himself. Just for shits and giggles.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of music and the lyrics of Killswitch Engage's This Fire Burns.

 _Even through the darkest days,_

 _This fire burns always._

 _This fire burns always…_

It was her phone, still on the marble countertop of her nightstand since yesterday night. Daniela made her way inside and grabbed the phone, thinking it was Charlie calling to check on her. She frowned down at the unknown number, instead, before answering.

"Hello?"

"Hey, sweetheart," the deep baritone of his voice made her freeze. It felt as though she'd been doused in cold water suddenly, the freezing sensation trickling slowly down her body all the way to her toes, as her heart steadily began to beat faster.

Her voice was a horrified whisper as it left her mouth.

"Joker."

Stupid, stupid, _stupid._ She was _so stupid_ to think she was safe from him now, that she'd somehow managed to get away. No, he'd _let her go_.

His voice began to chuckle lowly, building in crescendo until she could recognize his trademark maniacal laughter, pausing to ask in between mad cackles, "Why so serious?"

* * *

" _I thought I saw the devil this morning…"_


	21. Chapter 20

**Hey, guys! I'm back! Thank you for the reviews, and well.**

 **To my guest reviewer: Thank you, I'm okay now and writing actually helps a lot. You were right about their relationship, but somehow Ella's finding herself in the middle of everything, a kind of link amongst all the relationships. I swear most of this is unconscious, Ella and _especially_ Bruce do whatever they want here lol Hope you stick around :)**

 **To the rest of my readers, I hope it lives up to expectations and you enjoy it. Review, favorite, alert, whatever you feel like! Always love some feedback!**

 **Quotes are from Valley of Wolves' Reckless.**

* * *

" _And I know everything I touch seems to burn right down to dust."_

 **Chapter 20:** **Ascension**

Ella remained silent as she listened to the Joker's taunting laughter.

The Joker's laughter cut off abruptly to ask, "How've you been, doll?"

The thought to hang up didn't even cross her mind.

She took a deep breath as she sat on the edge of the bed, the touch screen of her phone tilted away from her cheek.

"What do you want, Joker?" Daniela replied, voice wavering slightly. The Joker laughed on the other end again, but lower this time, as though it were for his benefit instead of hers' this time. Her heart was pounding so hard, she could feel her pulse jumping at the base of her throat.

"Sweetheart, I just wanted to check up on you," he said, the smile evident in his voice. Ella could practically picture him in her mind, the taunting smile of a predator gracing his scarred face as he crooned at the phone in his hand. "I mean, after all, I gave you what you wanted, _didn't I_?"

He did, didn't he?

The Joker let her go free and get back to her previous life, to Rachel and Bruce Wayne. And all for what? So she could continue fighting for a relationship that had no quick fix, if any at all? So she could continue faking a happiness she no longer felt at his side? To top it all off and marry into a loveless sham of a marriage?

Ella gulped.

"I'm fine, Joker. Right where I wanted to be."

The Joker laughed again.

"No, no, sweet pea. That's where you _think_ you want to be," the Clown Prince corrected, the glee never leaving his voice. "I heard congratulations are in order."

Her throat closed up. _How the fuck did he know that?_ Irrationally, the urge to cry hit her strong. The bridge of her nose burned as her eyes filled with tears, but she took measured breaths, trying not to let the Joker know exactly how badly he affected her.

"How do you know that?" she finally asked, after a long silence.

"Oh, _honey_ ," he replied, his tone sickly-sweet, dragging out the last syllable. "You should know _better than anybody_ I have contacts."

He paused, snickering quietly to himself.

"How are you, then? Did Ramirez treat you alright?" he asked, the childlike concern in his voice present again. Daniela swallowed as the made-up villain confirmed what she'd already suspected in the privacy of her mind. _Wow, was the world fucked up or what?_

The Joker burst into laughter suddenly, as though he could read her mind. He probably could, somehow.

Ella didn't know what to say. There was something about the Joker now, about the Joker knowing what he did about her, that changed things. There was, somehow, a part of her that _respected_ him.

The Joker took her silence as a reason to keep on talking.

"I also heard," he continued, "that you kept quiet. I'm so _proud_ of you, _mami_."

His voice had that taunting color to it once more, having dropped an octave lower and turning serious, the depth of it sounding almost like a growl in her ear.

"You'll be rewarded for putting up with their interrogation once you're back with me, baby doll."

Ella opened her mouth in surprise, ready to make some kind of protest, before he spoke one last time and hung up.

"See you soon, _China_."

 _What the fuck?_

There was a moment of complete and utter panic in her mind, where the only thing she could think of was being back in the Joker's clutches, sitting in a corner of that dirty warehouse in sweatpants and barefoot. And she _really_ didn't want that.

Before she could rationally think about what she was doing, she found herself throwing a few of her clothes in a duffel bag, mentally going through her options.

Ella could go to her apartment. She'd rented a loft after college, but then she'd moved into the penthouse with Bruce about eight months into their relationship and left it. After their fights following their second anniversary, however, she realized she might need space from him at times. So she started renting a duplex in central Gotham.

Her salary could definitely afford it, after all. Except that Bruce actually _bought_ her the apartment for her 28th birthday. It was always at her disposal, fully-furnished and stocked with everything she could need at short notice.

But she would be alone. She didn't want to be alone.

Taking a deep, calming breath, Ella sat down on the bed again and set herself to think logically. She was in _Batman's home_. It was the safest place she could be right now; she shouldn't move from here.

But it was also grating on her nerves being alone—God, she'd been alone for so long now.

She could call Bruce, but he was off doing superhero stuff. Plus, what would she tell him? That the Joker had called her cell phone—

Ella froze as she realized something. The number on the screen when she answered was a real number, it wasn't even a restricted number. Maybe it was a burner phone? It didn't matter, the Joker had essentially left her with a way to track him, to turn him in.

Or to contact him.

 _(212) 360-0478_.

No, the Joker wasn't stupid, and she knew it. She was, after all, the one who warned Rachel not to underestimate him. Because while everyone else was content to see the Joker as some common criminal, a psychotic maniac who wanted to kill as many people as he could just for the fun of it, Daniela knew better.

No, she didn't know what his actual goal was, but she knew the Joker was not just some murderer. The Clown Prince was a fucking _genius_. While he had everyone else thinking all his actions were a shot in the dark followed by a shitload of luck, she knew his plans were meticulously laid.

Sure, maybe luck did have a lot to do with it, but that didn't take away from the fact that the Joker had everyone right where he wanted them.

Including her.

Because they both knew Ella wasn't going to turn him in. In fact, she wasn't going to tell anyone she actually talked to him. That was _her_ secret to keep, one of many.

Banishing the thought from her mind, she continued running through her options.

The Mexican brunette could probably go to Ana's apartment—her college roommate—but she would probably get scolded, and she wasn't in the mood for that. She had kind of been in an open relationship with Ana when she met Bruce, who was technically the reason that ended. Her friend would probably tell her she was in this situation thanks to Bruce, and _thanks, but no thanks_. Ana was still a little bitter.

Daniela could go to the hotel were Charlie was staying at.

But that probably wasn't wise. She knew she wasn't in the right state of mind, and the Carlos she remembered wasn't above taking advantage of her vulnerable state. Who knew with this new Charlie?

Sighing in the silence of the room, Ella resigned herself to stay in the Wayne penthouse, alone like she'd been for so long now. She stood up and made her way to the shower.

* * *

 _Charlie shifted on the leather of the passenger seat uncomfortably. Ella knew he was still not used to the fact that she had such luxury at her easy disposal as a billionaire's girlfriend. In fact, while Bruce had a black Cadillac Escalade in the garage, she had bought a crème-colored Escalade with her own money. While her salary could take it, however, Bruce had also gifted her a silver Lexus IS for her 29_ _th_ _birthday._

 _When Charlie had told her about the cancelled flight, Ella had slipped on a warm coat and grabbed the keys to her black Cadillac XT5 without much thought. She should've taken into account his fragile male ego._

" _So why was the flight cancelled?" she asked, stopping at the first red light since they'd left the airport parking lot. Charlie turned to look at her._

" _The Joker is considered a terrorist threat," he responded. "Apparently, all flights are cancelled until he is caught, because they see the Joker as the type of criminal who would bomb a plane."_

" _They're not wrong," Daniela answered lightly. She was pretty sure the Joker was capable of doing anything as long as it benefitted him. Threatening to bomb a passenger plane as leverage definitely seemed like something he would do. "Is Cinthia gonna be okay?"_

" _She will be once she's back with Alexander," Carlos replied. "She's taking the next flight out to California from the JFK Airport."_

 _Cinthia had refused to stay here until it was considered safe when she knew her son would start to worry about his parents. She had taken the first ferry out to New York City and left her husband to leave when he saw fit._

" _I booked you a suite at the Royal," Ella told him, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye as she made a left turn. She had indeed booked him a master suite at the Gotham City Royal Hotel on her way down in the penthouse elevator. "I'm paying for everything, don't worr—"_

" _No, hold on—"_

" _My boyfriend is one of the hotel owners," Ella cut him off sharply. Charlie shut his mouth and sank back into the leather. "How long are you staying?"_

" _I'm going back as soon as this blows over," he replied. "If it takes too long, I'll do the same as Gabriela and take a ferry to DC."_

* * *

The penthouse was deathly quiet when Bruce made it back wearing his usual black business suit. Rachel had called him earlier to let him know she was going to stay there because Dent deemed the MCU unsafe. He couldn't help but grudgingly agree the with the DA, who he'd seen that night.

Bruce made his way to the master bedroom, intent on cornering Ella and forcing them to talk things through before there was any other distraction. As soon as he entered the bedroom, he could hear the water running from the bathroom and knew she was taking a shower.

Only he didn't focus on that. Instead, his attention was stolen by the Guess duffel bag on the bed, filled with haphazardly-thrown sweatpants, camisoles, and jeans. There were no underclothes in the bag, but he could tell the packing wasn't finished, as though she'd stopped halfway and left it.

Bruce took a deep breath and backed out of the room, making his way to the bar in the living room for a whiskey on the rocks.

Ella was leaving.

He sat at the bar stool, swirling the contents of the glass in his hand, his brow furrowed in thought. Was Daniela really giving up on them now? She had emanated a certain desperation for him to stop her the night of the fundraiser, for him to give her a reason to stay. She had it now, and it wasn't enough anymore.

Maybe he had pushed too far, pushed for too much. Maybe he'd caught her off-guard, and she was realizing now it wasn't what she wanted anymore.

Was it the kidnapping? Was she realizing now that he hadn't exaggerated when he told her he wanted to keep her safe, when he said it was quite the feat as a billionaire's girlfriend?

Whatever the case, she was leaving. And somehow, it was worse than the previous night. He hadn't been expecting it then, but the knowledge of what was to come caused a pain in his chest, a burning at the base of his throat.

Bruce tipped his head back as he downed the whiskey.

This was it. This was the moment where he decided if he let her go without a fight or tried to convince her to stay. But he didn't want to force her or guilt her into anything because Alfred had been right.

 _You and she are very similar in that, you don't do anything you don't_ want _to do._

Groveling and begging on his knees would do nothing for him—no matter how much she deserved his pleas of forgiveness—because she would not listen. If her mind was made up, there was nothing more he could do.

Bruce was interrupted from his musings by the metallic sound of the elevator doors sliding open. Rachel stepped out of the steel box into the penthouse wearing the same clothes he'd seen her in earlier.

There was a moment of silence, until Bruce nodded his head at her in acknowledgement. She didn't say a word either as she studied him, her eyes focusing on the ice in his otherwise-empty glass before she turned and made her way to the guest bedroom.

Bruce poured himself another two fingers of whiskey.

He didn't want to lose her. Dear god, their lives were so intertwined, he couldn't imagine everyday life without Ella. Sometimes, she was the only thing that grounded him from his superhero life, reminded him he had more reason to live than just the saving of Gotham from its' next supposed villain.

Bruce took a gulp of the liquor, feeling the burn of the liquid sliding down his throat without conveying it on his face. His eyes remained on the amber liquid as he placed the glass on the countertop.

He couldn't let her go just like that. Maybe if he sat her down and they talked their issues rationally, he could convince her, not to stay, but to give him another chance. Maybe she could wait until this whole issue with the Joker was resolved and she was no longer in danger. Maybe that was all they needed: a break.

Bruce finished the chilled whiskey left in the glass. He was willing to marry her, he could probably leave Batman in his past, he could try to give her the life she deserved. He could. Couldn't he?

Supressing a groan, the Wayne billionaire stood and threw the ice cubes in the sink. He served himself a finger of whiskey and downed it in one. He then made his way to the guest bedroom where he could see Rachel looking out over Gotham city.

* * *

"' _Cause I'm reckless, yeah, I'm reckless."_


End file.
